No good food should go to waste!
How communities are bringing farm surplus to those who need it.
Since 2012, Feedback has been running the Gleaning Network across five regions in England: Sussex, Kent, the North West, East England (Cambs, Lincs, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk) and West England (Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire).
In 2021 the Gleaning Network will be a distributed network of independent gleaning hubs, of which Feedback-run hubs will be members. Feedback will be stepping away from being at the centre so the network can be self supporting, with Feedback continuing to provide the Toolkit, resources and advice to support any new or existing group.
Hundreds of tonnes of fresh produce have so far been rescued from farms and redistributed to various charities across the UK, thanks to the efforts of thousands of volunteers. Edible food waste on farms continues to be a largely hidden issue and there are gleaning opportunities all across the country that our existing network have yet to tap into. Therefore, this toolkit resource has allowed us to expand our network to help community groups and individuals run their own gleaning activities to make sure that uneaten produce can reach local communities.
Feedback is not the only group championing gleaning, there are established groups across the UK and beyond. Check our map for information on groups gleaning in England and to find out more information about how to set up your own activities click here. For gleaning further afield look at Semble’s slideshow that was part of our 2020 training, and info about gleaning groups in the USA can be found here.
Who are Feedback?
Feedback is a campaign organisation working to regenerate nature by transforming our food system. To do this we challenge power, catalyse action and empower people to achieve positive change.
Food production is the single greatest impact humans have on the environment and our own bodies. From mountains of food waste, to habitat destruction to clear land to grow animal feed for factory farms, to soil depletion leaving future harvests at risk and record levels of malnutrition: the food system needs to change. To read more about the work we do, please visit our website.