Abstract:
A robust interconnection exists between wasted food and food insecurity. Over a million tons of food waste are generated each year in Washington State, with approximately 390,000 tons of edible food being disposed (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2022). These contrasting issues are intricately linked, with the resolution of one concern holding the potential to alleviate the other. Although every county in the United States faces food insecurity to this day (Feeding America, 2022), most of the residues produced in Washington are organic – including food waste (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2021). This prevalence presents a significant opportunity for the development of food rescue programs that have the potential to address both issues simultaneously.
This pilot mapping project directly supports the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management by developing a statewide food rescue mapping tool. This pilot project mapped food business locations in Thurston, Benton, and Franklin counties. These businesses are identified as potential food donors to Hunger Relief Organizations (HROs), which are locations that receive donations and support from private foundations, businesses, corporations, and individuals to provide food access to people who need it (Templeton , Cohen, Conrad, & Hill, 2022). Over 2000 locations from food businesses and HROs were mapped in ArcGIS Pro, providing insights into the distribution of potential donors and receivers that are or can be part of food rescue programs. Additionally, vulnerability layers were included to understand regions that need priority in terms of food assistance. Likewise, distance buffer analyses were executed to determine the presence of potential food donors considering different pickup ranges surrounding HROs. Model surveys for food businesses and HROs were created to complement the map. Once deployed, it is expected that survey findings can be integrated to populate and add more information to the map, enriching it with valuable data for informed decision-making in the realm of food rescue initiatives.
Expanding the map statewide to include all counties in Washington State will allow decision-
makers, such as staff at the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management, to focus their food rescue efforts on communities that have abundant potential food donors. This ,especially within close proximity to existing HROs or communities that would most benefit from additional food resources. Next steps beyond integrating additional data are deploying the developed surveys for food businesses and establishing connections and logistic details between donors and receivers.