LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) - Dare to Care Spokesperson Stan Siegwald says Earth Day is a good reminder to consider the amount of food that ends up not on your plate, but in the trash. “We know we’ve been trying to make some headway into preventing food waste, especially when there are so many people in our community that are hungry," he told WHAS11.
Dare to Care is part of the Kentucky Association of Food Banks which started the Farms to Food Banks program in 2011. Any food that’s turned away by retailers because of blemishes or a small defect is given to food banks. In its seven years, 15 million pounds of produce have been handed out to non-profits like Dare to Care.
“It’s been a great boon for the quality of food that we can distribute to families in need and we know a the same time, it’s going from the fields of local farmers and helping the local farm economy," Siegwald said.
But he says more can be done. He supports this resolution signed by Governor Matt Bevin this year. It requires state agencies to conduct food waste studies and find solutions to donate more food to pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. “As a society, we waste a lot and that waste includes the food that we purchase and don’t consume.”
It’s estimated each person in the US wastes one pound of food every day which ends ups in landfills covering 30 million acres every year. Siegwald says it’s nothing to be proud of, which is why he wants you to make smarter choices and consider the needs of non-profits that are often willing to take your donations rather than have you throw food down the drain.
“I think we’ll go a long way to continuing to make our country a great place," he said.