Food in Community, a Dartington-based community interest company, aims to expand its work rescuing surplus food. The organisation has been collecting unwanted crops from local growers and farmers for 14 years to reduce waste and improve access to sustainably produced food.
The group, which primarily operates in Devon and also sends items to Cornwall, seeks to collaborate with more farmers, volunteers, and business partners. This expansion is intended to save additional food from going to waste.
Chantelle Norton, a director at Food in Community, cited 2022 research by the World Wide Fund for Nature and Tesco, which estimated that 2.9 million tonnes of edible food is lost or wasted annually on UK farms. Norton emphasised the importance of utilising available resources, valuing not only the food and its nutrition but also the farmer's time, water, and care involved in its production.
The rescued food is packed into boxes for free doorstep deliveries to referred individuals, often those in particular need. Any leftover produce is distributed to food banks, community fridges, lunch clubs, and youth groups. Sandra Crawford, Food in Community box manager, stated that boxes are typically offered for a limited period of up to six months.
Farmer Lloyd Stone, who supplies Riverford Organic Farmers, has been donating produce, including courgettes, to Food in Community for two years. Totnes Rural Area Youth Engagement (TRAYE) has also received free fruit and vegetable boxes for the past two years, which youth worker Kerry McCain said makes a significant difference for their nine youth clubs across south Devon.