Decrease Food Waste: Incentivise Donations

According to the National Resources Defense Council as much as 40% of food produced in the United States will never be eaten. This is at a time when 1 in 8 Americans are living in food insecurity. Strict retailer standards for produce cause large numbers of crops to be left in the fields to rot. According to PBS Newshour's segment, "Why does almost half of America's food go to waste?" 1 to 30% of crops don't go to market. If produce does not meet the retailers standards in shape and color it will be wasted. However, even if farmers wanted to donate this food to a food bank they often lack the means to get it there. There is currently no economic incentive in place in Arkansas for farmers to donate perfectly edible, but imperfect, produce to people that need food. Arkansas's congress needs to put tax incentives in place so that our state can lead the nation in feeding the hungry, reducing waste, decreasing harmful environmental impacts, and helping the farmers that are the foundation for our states economy.

A University of Arkansas study found no case where food donation resulted in lawsuits. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act legally protects anyone who donates food, but legislation is still lacking to provide an economic incentive to get the food from the farm to food bank. In 2015 a Bill was proposed to the United States Congress to make such tax incentives a permanent part of the tax code, titled HR 644: The Fighting Hunger Incentive Act which passed in the House. However, when the Bill reached the Senate it was retitled the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 and filled with completely different language about border control and US- Israeli relations.
According to the National Resources Defense Council as much as 40% of food produced in the United States will never be eaten. This is at a time when 1 in 8 Americans are living in food insecurity. Strict retailer standards for produce cause large numbers of crops to be left in the fields to rot. According to PBS Newshour's segment, "Why does almost half of America's food go to waste?" 1 to 30% of crops don't go to market. If produce does not meet the retailers standards in shape and color it will be wasted. However, even if farmers wanted to donate this food to a food bank they often lack the means to get it there. There is currently no economic incentive in place in Arkansas for farmers to donate perfectly edible, but imperfect, produce to people that need food. Arkansas's congress needs to put tax incentives in place so that our state can lead the nation in feeding the hungry, reducing waste, decreasing harmful environmental impacts, and helping the farmers that are the foundation for our states economy.

A University of Arkansas study found no case where food donation resulted in lawsuits. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act legally protects anyone who donates food, but legislation is still lacking to provide an economic incentive to get the food from the farm to food bank. In 2015 a Bill was proposed to the United States Congress to make such tax incentives a permanent part of the tax code, titled HR 644: The Fighting Hunger Incentive Act which passed in the House. However, when the Bill reached the Senate it was retitled the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 and filled with completely different language about border control and US- Israeli relations.

Our Government needs to step up! Americans are going hungry while farms are sending produce straight to the landfill simply because it doesn’t meet strict Aesthetic guidelines. At the state level our congress has the power to do something!