So it would seem, based on this Washington Post article<\/a> from a couple days ago, that is, if your impression of food banks is (as mine was) organizations that collect canned and other shelf-stable food from the public via food drives and drop-off sites, to give to the needy. \u00a0According to that article, well, that\u2019s not true at all.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep your canned goods. There are better ways to help feed the poor.\u201d \u00a0That\u2019s the headline, and the article starts off with the statement that canned foods are no good because \u201clarge share of nonperishable items are loaded with excess sodium, sugar and other chemicals to maintain flavor and longevity.\u201d \u00a0Really? \u00a0Sure, spaghettios have a lot of sodium, but it\u2019s not inherent to the canning process itself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The article then cites the usual statistics on food deserts and food pantry use, then tells of an innovator, Patrick O\u2019Neill, who has created an online \u201cvirtual food drive\u201d where donors can select specific \u201chealthy\u201d items \u2014 \u201capples, sweet potatoes, brown rice\u201d are mentioned as examples \u2014 which are then purchased by his organization and delivered to the needy. \u00a0The site, \u201cAmp Your Good,\u201d consists of links to various groups\u2019 \u201cfood drives\u201d \u2014 one such drive <\/a>is asking people to virtually donate items such as the following: \u00a0 \u00a0packages of mixed produce, basic produce staples such as apples, onions, broccoli, \u201chealthy\u201d staples such as olive oil, whole wheat pasta, and traditional proteins of peanut butter and canned meats. \u00a0But: \u00a0the odd thing is that the items were all substantially more expensive than their purchase prices at my local Aldi \u2014 e.g., $14.85 for a 3-pack of 18-oz jars of peanut butter, when that\u2019s currently retailing for less than $5.00, or $11 for a 6-lb bag of onions, when I paid $5 for a 5-lb bag just yesterday. \u00a0 So either O\u2019Neill has built in a healthy profit margin for himself, or this is a matter of paid staff rather than volunteers doing all the work of buying and delivering the food, and the prices build in the cost of paying the staff.<\/span><\/p>\n But what got me is this: \u00a0the article concludes by quoting a Feeding America spokesman, Ron Fraser.<\/p>\n Ross Fraser, spokesman for Feeding America, said in recent years food banks have started prioritizing providing healthier, nutrient-rich foods to families. Most of the food collected by food banks is actually donated from manufacturers, farmers, retail stores and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Only about 5\u00a0percent comes from traditional food drives, he said.<\/p>\n Because food banks can also purchase food wholesale at a significant discount, most would prefer cash over food donations because they can stretch that money further and it\u2019s far less labor-intensive than sorting cans.<\/p>\n Still, Fraser said the benefits of organized food drives are that they raise awareness about hunger. If a child helps a parent put together a bag of goods to donate, it can be a teaching moment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Only 5% comes from food drives? \u00a0They\u2019d rather have cash, and don\u2019t want to sort cans? (Which sounds like it\u2019s paid staff doing the sorting, rather than asking volunteers to help.) \u00a0And they\u2019d just as soon get rid of food drives entirely except that it\u2019s useful for getting their message of \u201chunger!\u201d out there so that they can collect cash donations and maintain support for government programs?<\/p>\n And what about all that food donated from \u201cmanufactures, farmers, [and] retail stores\u201d?<\/p>\n According to this Chicago Tribune article<\/a>, they\u2019re not simply doing it out of the goodness of their heart, but because of \u201cenhanced tax deductions\u201d that were renewed with the latest spending bill. \u00a0(I tried mightily to find more details, but came up empty.) \u00a0What exactly this means isn\u2019t exactly clear, but it seems to be a matter of subsidizing the harvesting costs in a manner that extends beyond the notion of deducting the value of goods donated \u2014 but how generous these subsidies are, and to what extent this is just an indirect way of the federal government paying for the food, isn\u2019t stated.<\/p>\n \u201cFarmers want to do the right thing, but it\u2019s hard when it costs more to donate than to leave the food in the field,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In Chicago, it could mean an infusion of fresh produce from sources like Gotham Greens, which opened its rooftop greenhouses in the Pullman neighborhood in October. Using hydroponic technology, the urban \u201cagribusiness\u201d operates four rooftop facilities year-round \u2014 three in New York City and one in Chicago.<\/p>\n As with any food manufacturer, the goal of Gotham Greens is to sell products and make money, said Viraj Puri, its CEO. But the company also donates produce and money to food banks.<\/p>\n Of the 10 million heads of lettuce and other greens that the Pullman greenhouse expects to grow in 2016, between 5,000 and 10,000 heads will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Puri said.<\/p>\n Going forward, Puri expects the amount of donated food to more than double because of the added tax deductions that will help cover the cost of production. \u201cIt will certainly incentivize us to do more,\u201d Puri said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n What of our local food bank, the Greater Chicago Food Depository<\/a>, which seems to be the \u201cparent company\u201d of sorts for all the local food pantries? \u00a0According to their annual report<\/a>,<\/p>\n 50% of their funding came from individual donors, 18% from corporations and foundations, 22% from agencies and the government, and 10% elsewhere.<\/p>\n 46% of food delivered was shelf-stable, 35% fresh produce, and 19% protein.<\/p>\n 73% of their food was provided to its recipients via food pantries, 8% via \u201cmobile response to underserved communities\u201d (that is, delivering by truck), and the remainder via soup kitchens, community centers, etc.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the kicker: \u00a044% of food was donated, 23% came directly from the government, 32% was purchased \u2014 and how much came from food drives?<\/p>\n\n
\n