Let’s Glean: What is Gleaning and what Motivates People to do it?
Food insecurity and food waste are two closely intertwined and prominent issues in the United States. Millions of people struggle to have access to healthy food and about 40% of foods meant for human consumption end up going to waste. Not only are wasteful practices taking food away from those in need, but food waste also significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The solution lies in gleaning, or harvesting produce that otherwise would be wasted. I interned with FareStart as a member of their food security team and helped lead gleaning trips to support their mission. My research aimed to address what motivates farmers, food security operations, and volunteers to participate in gleaning practices. I conducted interviews with farmers and others involved in food security operations (FareStart and similar organizations) and also surveyed gleaning volunteers to address this essential question. While each group indicated several drivers that motivate participation, all had one factor in common: community. Farmers were focused on building community relationships, volunteers were most interested in community building practices and altruism, and food security operation members were intent on giving back to local communities facing food insecurity. These groups valued different outcomes associated with gleaning; their results help to identify the most successful means to motivate future participation. Gleaning is often overlooked for its effectiveness in addressing issues of food insecurity and food waste management. It is important for gleaning to be promoted in the most fruitful way possible so that it can become more widely implemented.
