Why farmers are forced to let food rot during the shutdown while others go hungry
Fruits and vegetables are being left in fields (Agence Producteurs Locaux Damien Kühn @producteurslocaux Avatar of user Agence Producteurs Locaux Damien Kühn/)In recent weeks, numerous stories have emerged about farmers dumping their dairy and produce. Idaho farmers are leaving their onions to rot in the field, South Florida growers are plowing their beans and cabbage into the ground, and lettuce is decomposing in California fields.While vegetables are left to rot, food banks are struggling to meet the needs of the hungry. In a survey by the nonprofit Feeding America, 98 percent of food banks reported they were having increased demand for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, bridging this gap between farm surpluses and food bank shortages is not straightforward. At the heart of this situation is a highly-specialized food supply chain that can’t easily pivot to supplying donations or retail.“The biggest shift that happened is when they shut...