SF receives $2.1 million grant for food insecure residents

Hamza Fahmy
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

(KRON) — On Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that the city has received over $2 million from CalRecycle, a statewide initiative to combat food insecurity by minimizing food waste.

The grant, according to Breed, will help grow the network of food businesses, recover high-quality food, and distribute it to nonprofit and food pantry organizations. These organizations specifically provide meals and groceries to San Franciscans in need.

Since the program’s inception in 2019, nearly 9 million pounds of food has been recovered, resulting in 8 million meals served, Breed’s office said.

Volunteer Minh Thu Tran (right) bundles up carrots offered by SF-Marin Food Bank at the Richmond Neighborhood Center food pantry in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Volunteer Minh Thu Tran (right) bundles up carrots offered by SF-Marin Food Bank at the Richmond Neighborhood Center food pantry in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Launched with support from CalRecycle, San Francisco’s initial Kitchen Zero program helped the city develop partnerships with restaurants and over 50 non-profits to recover quality edible food that would have otherwise gone to waste. Instead, initiatives like Kitchen Zero fed thousands of food-insecure residents throughout the city.

Breed’s office said programs like Kitchen Zero were especially vital during the pandemic. According to a Northwestern University study, one in every five Californians reported experiencing food insecurity in 2020.

New bill proposes converting downtown SF’s office spaces into housing

“The program is comprised of hundreds of food recovery organizations, food transport services, and food generators, all working together toward the shared goal of feeding those in need. This successful cooperative model has helped to define our city as a leader in implementing innovative programs to ensure we take care of the city’s most vulnerable,” Breed said.

Food insecurity aside, reducing emissions is also essential to meeting the city’s climate targets and goals of reducing waste generation by 15% and landfill by 50%.

In 2022, CalRecycle reported saving approximately 195 metric tons of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

In a separate but complementary program, California’s Environment Department is also seeking to educate residents and businesses on curbing food waste this month. The department will provide resources to smaller grocery stores to be ambassadors for the campaign.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.