Webinar Highlights
National Food Recovery Association
Creating a systems approach to food recovery focusing on reducing hunger and reducing food waste.
Food recovery only works at scale when it is viewed as a system, not just a series of individual donations. Surplus food, which is scattered across the supply chain, varies dramatically in volume and is often highly perishable, requiring a quick distribution system.
While food banks and pantries are a critical part of the solution, they aren't always set up to handle the unpredictability of food recovery where donations can range from a few trays of prepared food to multiple truckloads of produce. That's why successful recovery efforts rely on a broader network of community partners that can get food to people quickly.
Of course, this requires a system consisting of a strong logistics plan (i.e., reliable pick-up and distribution network), sustainable funding, data sharing, common standards, and legislative policies that understand the systemic barriers that food recovery encounters daily.
Founded in 2023, the
National Food Recovery Association is helping build that ecosystem by connecting and strengthening food recovery organizations, sharing best practices, improving data and measurement, increasing awareness among funders and policymakers, and advocating for solutions that make food recovery more effective.
FarmLink is one example of how organizations are contributing to that larger, collaborative effort.
Farmlink
Moving large volumes of food surplus from the growers and donors to the people in need.
FarmLink is tackling food waste at an earlier stage of the supply chain and getting it into the hands of people who need it by rescuing surplus produce before it ever reaches grocery store shelves. Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has recovered more than 500 million pounds of food by connecting farmers, distributors, cold storage facilities, ports, and wholesale markets with community organizations that can put that food to good use.
It’s important to note that food waste isn't necessarily the result of poor planning. Agriculture is unpredictable, markets shift, and retailers often have strict standards for appearance and freshness. As a result, large amounts of perfectly edible food can become surplus simply because a newer crop arrives or consumer preferences change.
FarmLink's role is to solve the logistics challenge that often stands in the way of food recovery. By covering transportation costs, responding quickly when surplus becomes available, and maintaining strong relationships across the food system, the organization can move highly perishable food to communities in need. The work also delivers important environmental benefits. Every pound of food recovered instead of sent to a landfill helps reduce methane emissions and preserves the water, energy, labor, and other resources that went into producing it.
Looking ahead,
FarmLink is focused on building the infrastructure needed to scale food recovery even further. By investing in data, technology, and stronger partnerships, the organization hopes to create a more connected and efficient food recovery network that can rescue more food, reduce waste, and help more communities access fresh, healthy food.
So where does Maryland stand in this conversation? Here's a quick breakdown...
➡ Food waste accounts for 18.8% of Maryland’s solid waste stream with a higher share in residential waste stream at 19.7%
(2024 MD Waste Characterization study), a rate that is fairly typical across states.
➡ Food scraps recycling rate jumped from 18% to 26.2% between 2023 and 2024. However this falls short of the voluntary food scrap recycling target for 2035 is 60%.
(2026 MD SW Mgmt and Diversion Report, 2024 data)
➡ Maryland ranked in the top 3 states of wasted food per household.
(2026 Mitre/Gallup)
The Takeaway? There’s great potential for expanding prevention, recovery and recycling in Maryland.
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*This is a FREE webinar brought to you by Maryland Recycling Network. Have a topic you'd like to share or hear about? Send us an email.
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