In 2021, 2.3 billion people globally (29.3%) were estimated to be moderately or severely food insecure, and two-thirds of children did not receive the nutrients they needed to fully thrive. Yet over 34% of food is wasted each year. In the U.S. alone, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted yearly, which equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away.
Since the inception of International Farming, our founders have dreamed of finding a way to feed a million people in the U.S. each year.
Over the last 13 years, International Farming has accomplished some remarkable goals. We have built a first-class team and become one of the world’s largest private landowners — all while being stewards of the land and natural resources we have been entrusted with by our investors. And, still, we have a responsibility to use our agricultural knowledge and platform to do more. This led us to partner with Project FoodBox, a nonprofit that is delivering fresh produce directly from farmers to communities in need.
Project FoodBox has a mission to reduce waste, stop hunger and make healthy foods accessible to all Americans. Since 2020, Project FoodBox has delivered more than 70 million pounds of fresh fruit and produce in the form of more than three million food boxes at a lower cost than average wholesale values. Project FoodBox enables hard-working farmers to make more money on nutritious food that would have otherwise been wasted.
Using International Farming’s existing operating assets and network, we are pleased to partner with Project FoodBox and contribute greatly to their mission, while creating a self-sustaining enterprise that benefits all stakeholders. With the support of the entire International Farming team, this initiative bridges our commitment to social impact and a major step toward our dream of feeding a million people a year.
While building our relationship is just the start, we look forward to a successful future with Project FoodBox, helping to reinforce their efforts and take us all one step closer to a better future.