Stop food waste with better system
Fresno County is a cornucopia of available fruits and vegetables, but as we enter the holiday season, individuals are experiencing food shortages, also known as food insecurity.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Fresno County’s total agriculture production reached $6.5 billion in 2012. With the abundance of food produced at our very doorstep, individuals should not be struggling to put food on their tables.
Food insecurity attributes to a host of maladies that shouldn’t occur in our community. For instance, children with food insecurity will most likely suffer in school because, with a lack of proper nutrition, they are unable to sustain the energy needed to do their best.
There needs to be a better system for utilizing the tons of food from stores, restaurants, and farms that currently ends up in garbage bins. Let the foods labeled unmarketable become available to those who desperately need them.
We should utilize volunteer organizations and government entities to better collect and distribute these food supplies. This would benefit us as a community and will help alleviate food insecurity in Fresno County. Let’s all help the ones that need it the most during this season of love and compassion.
Heidi Lofgren, Coarsegold
This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 7:15 AM with the headline "Stop food waste with better system."