Letter to Jim Rice - On Decision to End Donations to Food Banks

Letter

Dear Mr. Rice:

I would like to thank you for the support that Shaw's Supermarkets has shown over the years to soup kitchens and food pantries in Maine and throughout New England.

However, I was very disappointed this week to learn that because of corporate policy, Shaw's stores in Maine have stopped donating perishable food to organizations that are helping feed Maine families in need. The loss of these contributions has had an ongoing harmful impact on food access throughout Maine, most recently with the loss of donations to the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.

I am writing to ask you to explain the corporate policy that has reportedly led to the decision to stop donations, and the reasoning behind it. I would also like to know if this decision is likely to lead to more food ending up in landfills.

While forty percent of the food produced every year in the United States goes to waste, nearly 50 million Americans are struggling with issues of hunger. Donating excess food or food near the sell-by date to soup kitchen and food pantries is one of the best ways we can reduce food waste and address hunger issues at the same time.

Turning excess food into animal feed, compost or converting it to energy are all better than dumping it in a landfill, but none of them are as a good a solution as sending that food to families who don't have enough to eat.

On Monday, I stood with members of the hunger community and a number of food retailers to talk about our shared goal of wasting less food. Many of those participating talked about achieving a "zero-waste" goal for supermarkets--where none of their food ends up in a landfill. I hope you can join us in our fight to dramatically cut food waste.

Since George C. Shaw opened his first shop in Portland over 150 years ago, Shaw's has been an important part of our communities here in Maine. I look forward to seeing that tradition continue.

Sincerely,

Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress

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