Food security is a challenging urban issue, especially when we observe inequitable urban growth. In the United States, over 30 to 40% of food supply goes to waste, while many people do not have access to proper nutrition in urban neighborhoods, so-called food deserts. To bridge the gap between excess food supply and lack of accessibility to healthy food, non-profit organizations have been offering gleaning programs to urban communities. Gleaning has gained popularity, and the number of programs is rapidly growing. This article reviews the rise of the gleaning program (hereafter GP) in the United States and discusses the successes and challenges of case study programs mainly from the west coast cities through interviews with program coordinators. Also, the author conducted a participant survey and interviewed volunteer gleaners.
First, the list of GPs in the United States was assembled based on previous studies and additional inputs from the gleaning organization network. The list contains GPs’ locations, recovery food resources, number of partner organizations, and legal entities of GPs’ operations. This list shows that
1) GPs are the most densely located in the Pacific region, followed by the Northeast region.
2) Popular food resources vary by geographical location. In the Pacific region, where the climate is relatively mild, gleaner organizations harvest most from the private properties. The Mountain region results in a very similar distribution of the recovery food resources. On the other hand, the majority of the food recovered from the farm and agricultural land in the other regions.
3) Legal entities of the most GPs are categorized as non-profit organizations, 503(c)(3).
Through the interview with the GPs’ organizers, the paper reveals common challenges for GPs’ daily operation. The typical challenges include; 1) funding, 2) logistic, especially during the harvesting season, 3) volunteer/ harvest resources management, and 4) understanding of the local dietary need and culture.
The author conducted a participatory survey in San Jose, California, and interviewed volunteer gleaners to understand their motivations and GP’s roles in the community. Some placed value on reducing food waste and achieving food security in an urban environment. Many participants also appreciated that they could learn through gleaning activity and enjoy access to fresh produce, and work in nature. This result represents GP’s reciprocal stewardship. GP’s volunteers take care of the land and recovering food for low income families, and in return, they enjoy themselves through GP’s activities.
The article concludes with 1)recommended strategies and suggestions from case studies for sustainable gleaning programs operation in an urban setting, and 2) discussion of the three-tier role of GP (as an alternative food source, as community assets, and as a form of stewardship) in a community.
