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Municipal Food Surplus Recovery Strategies, Doing Good or Doing Well?: A Preliminary Study of Baltimore, MD.
Type of Session
Individual Paper Presentation
Abstract
Municipal Food Surplus Recovery Strategies, Doing Good or Doing Well?: A Preliminary Study of Baltimore, MD.
Improved production efficiencies and food/ storage technologies are considered means to reduce surplus in the food systems production-distribution chains; however, it has been argued that food waste/ surplus is unavoidable (Sert et al. 2014). Interest in the management of food recovery and redistribution has grown as food related nonprofit organizations (NPO) have been repositioned from offering temporary “emergency” food relief to becoming institutionalized actors in the food security sector (Trudeau, 2008). Recognition of the importance of stewardship of natural resources, food security and social justice in food access have also increased in policy and public awareness. This has been coupled with a downward evolution of policies and funding away from federal to state and local authorities.
The contribution of the paper will be to discuss preliminary results of a case study of recovery, management and distribution of food surplus in Baltimore, MD. Following the model developed by Bramanti et al., actors will be categorized as collecting and distributing food products (food banks), providing prepared meals (soup kitchens) or offering integrated services, plus food. (community gardens (2017). Although referencing the more traditional NPO activities, emphasis in this study will be on the growing role of social businesses, generally defined as those engaged in recovery/ distribution activities while committed to serving a market and earning a profit (Yunus, 2017). The results of this case study will compare and contrast this emerging social business model of food surplus recovery and distribution with more traditional charity-based practices. The relevance of this study to AESS will be to address alternative stewardship models that may engage business actors directly contributing to sustainability solutions in terms of both natural and social systems.
Sert, S., Garrone, P., & Melacini. M. (2014) Keeping food alive: Surplus food management. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 3 (4), 339-346.
Trudeau, D. (2008). Junior partner or empowered community? Journal of Urban Studies, 45(13), 2805-2827.
Yunus, M. (2017). A world of three zeros. New York: Public Affairs.