Secretary of Agriculture Highlights 20 Million-Pound Milestone for State’s Agricultural Surplus Technique

​Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding nowadays announce that the state’s program that rescues surplus agricultural goods from waste and redirects it to the charitable food process, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus Method (Pass), has officially exceeded extra than 20 million lbs . of foods. That’s 20 million lbs of clean, regionally produced goods put into the hands of people who want it most more than the earlier 5 a long time.

“In a state as agriculturally abundant as Pennsylvania, no a person must go hungry. In 2016, Governor Wolf acknowledged the have to have for a link concerning the agriculture marketplace and our charitable meals technique by funding the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus Process,” stated Redding. “Now, five decades afterwards, we have been capable to source much more than 20 million lbs . of surplus food items from Pennsylvania farmers to feed meals insecure Pennsylvanians.

“This plan is a get-gain. The only factor even worse than the solutions of Pennsylvania’s hardworking farmers heading to squander is far more than 1.7 million Pennsylvanians not knowing exactly where their future meal will occur from,” additional Redding.

The department’s Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus Procedure (Go) system helps to aid Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry and lessen squander of agricultural surplus by generating connections in between manufacturing agriculture and the non-revenue sector. At first enacted into law in 2010, the application was first funded in 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf at $1 million yearly. In 2017-18, the plan funding was greater to $1.5 million each year.

In addition to the $1.5 million in point out funds, in 2020 the system was awarded $10 million from the state’s federal Coronavirus Help, Aid and Financial Protection (CARES) Act allocation. Collectively, these state and federal money ended up utilized to order excess product or service from Pennsylvania farmers and distribute them to all 67 counties via 13 associates that are members of the Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Cost-free Pennsylvania networks of food stuff banks.

“Pennsylvania’s charitable foodstuff network is devoted to giving wholesome food items to people facing starvation and we are very grateful to the commonwealth for investing in this significant system,” stated Jane Clements-Smith, government director of Feeding Pennsylvania. “The Go method directly gains agriculture and presents Pennsylvania foodstuff financial institutions the option to offer you a numerous array of community products to our clientele though supporting Pennsylvania farmers, processors, and distributors. It is a correct win-get.”

Since the Go system was to start with funded by Governor Tom Wolf, much more than 20 million kilos of meals have been distributed through the statewide network of charitable food items vendors to all 67 counties. Practically 8 million of the 20 million lbs were bought and dispersed from July 2020 by way of March 2021, and 6.1 million of all those were being funded as a result of CARES Act pounds. Pennsylvania developed and developed meals have been sourced from 158 farmers, processors, and growers in 47 counties. The foodstuff consist of fresh new fruits and greens, milk, cheese and other merchandise that are generally hard for foodstuff pantries to get hold of.

In accordance to Feeding America’s annual Map the Food Hole report, in 2019, 10.6% of all residents in Pennsylvania did not often know where by their next food was coming from. That amount bundled practically 14.6% of all Pennsylvania children.

In 2020, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Feeding The us reports that the number of Pennsylvanians who confronted foodstuff insecurity grew to 13.8 per cent, an boost of 30 %. A lot more startling, the number of children who faced food stuff insecurity rose to 20.4 p.c, an enhance of just about 40 percent in just a single calendar year.

For 2021, Feeding American projects that, as a final result of policies executed by the federal and point out govt to improve nutrition help applications and also the generosity of the non-public sector, foodstuff insecurity fees will boost from 2020. Projections indicate that general foodstuff insecurity in Pennsylvania will tumble to 12 p.c of all citizens, and 16.8 % of all children.

For additional information about meals safety and means for Pennsylvanians in need, stop by agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

MEDIA Make contact with: Shannon Powers – [email protected]

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