Navigation

Public Records Request
Natural Resources Building
P.O. Box 42560
1111 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
Phone: (360) 902-1800

Food Rescue

Back
Home / Services / Food Access / Hunger Relief Resources / Food Rescue

What do you need today?

FOOD RESCUE AND FOOD WASTE

Food rescue is the practice of collecting wholesome, edible food that would otherwise be thrown away and redistributing it to people facing hunger. The purpose is to prevent food waste while also providing food to those in need.
 
Food waste is a major problem across the entire food supply chain. In the United States, approximately 30-40% of the food supply is wasted. Wasted food that ends up in landfills emits a greenhouse gas called methane, which is a known contributor to the climate crisis.
Below are some common culprits of food waste in Washington and beyond. Some of these are unpredictable and unpreventable, especially on the farm. Most, however, can be significantly reduced or prevented.
  • On the farm: Pest damage, crop failure, production with no sales outlet, staffing shortages, weather-related waste such as flooding or fires.
  • During transportation: Food spoilage due to improper storage temperatures, damage during transport, length of transport time.
  • In processing facilities: Food spoilage, using only small amounts of the product and throwing away the rest.
  • In grocery stores: Food does not sell by its “Sell By” date, food arrives cosmetically imperfect and is rejected.
  • In restaurants: More food is prepared than used, customers don’t finish all of their food.
  • At home: Food is not eaten by its “Use By” date, food is forgotten, food rots and spoils.
There are increasing efforts to approach food waste more proactively and find outlets for food at risk of becoming food waste before it ends up in the landfill. Apples that get rejected from a grocery store for cosmetic imperfections, for example, can still be juiced, dehydrated, or donated to a food bank. At WSDA Food Assistance (FA), our goal within this work is to rescue edible food for the purpose of redistributing it to hunger relief organizations.

WSDA FA FOOD RESCUE WORK

Food rescue is an important part of what WSDA FA does to help supply wholesome, nutritious, and Washington-grown foods to food banks around the state.

The state-funded Food Rescue Grant Program (FRGP) was implemented July 2025 in response to the success of the Washington Commodities Donation Grant Program (WCDGP). The purpose of this program is to procure Washington-grown foods that are at risk of becoming food waste and distribute them to hunger relief organizations throughout the state. Learn more about the FRGP here.
 
The federally-funded Farm to Food Bank (FTFB) Program is also involved in Washington food rescue work by supporting the harvesting, packing, processing, and/or distributing of donated foods from farmers and growers to hunger relief organizations. More information about FTFB can be found here.
 

FOOD RESCUE IN WASHINGTON

In Washington and around the country, there have been major efforts taken to reduce food waste. The USDA has set a goal to reduce food waste nationwide by 50% by 2030. The Washington State Department of Ecology has developed a state plan, the Use Food Well Washington Plan, to help Washington achieve this same goal of 50% food waste reduction by 2030.

Below are some organizations within Washington that are championing food rescue work:

The Sustainable Food Center



The Washington State Department of Ecology's Center for Sustainable Food Management ("Food Center") is a key leader in food waste reduction across our state. The Food Center was established in January of 2024 to prevent food waste, save edible food, and support food recovery. They do this through education, research, improvements to data and tracking, building partnerships, and advancing equity. They have also developed the resources available through Use Food Well to support food waste reduction at the consumer level.

Learn More Here

The Washington Gleaning Network



Supported by Harvest Against Hunger, the Washington Gleaning Network (WGN) is a network of gleaning organizations across Washington who work to get gleaned foods to those who need it most. Gleaning is the act of collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, grocers, or other sources in order to provide it to those in need. This food typically has no other outlet and would otherwise end up wasted (composted, tilled under, or thrown away). More than 40 organizations across Washington are members of the WGN.

Learn More Here

Other organizations in Washington doing important food rescue work include:
  • Feeding Feasible Feasts
    • Western WA nonprofit working at the intersection of food insecurity and food waste.
  • WA Food Recovery Network 
    • National organization with chapters in WA, emphasis on student-led work within college campuses.
  • Good Business Network of Washington 
    • Collaboration between Cedar Grove Compost, Cascadia Produce, and the Good Business Network to rescue and redistribute farm and grocery foods.