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Monday, April 27th, 2020

USDA let millions of pounds of food rot while food-bank demand soared

Author:     HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH
Source:     Politico
Publication Date:     04/26/2020 07:00 AM EDT
 Link: USDA let millions of pounds of food rot while food-bank demand soared
Stephan:   Yet another food report showing the utter failure of the Trump administration. Here is the latest on the Rotting Food Trend. Neither Trump nor his familiars apparently thought or cared enough about ordinary people to even consider that a food crisis was the inevitable result of Trump's wrong-headed immigration policies, the administration's failure to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, and the self-isolation policies that were required. As a result just as there is food scarcity developing, American farmers are plowing tens of millions of pounds of produce back into the ground. The complete and total incompetence and lack of planning by Trump and his administration, and the lack of an American social safety network revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic, should tell each of us that we must do our part to see the country converts to a system that fosters wellbeing.  It requires a change in consciousness in each of us.
A tractor pushes cabbage into the ground shown April 23 near Belle Glade, Fla. |
Credit: M. Scott Mahaskey/Politico

Tens of millions of pounds of American-grown produce is rotting in fields as food banks across the country scramble to meet a massive surge in demand, a two-pronged disaster that has deprived farmers of billions of dollars in revenue while millions of newly jobless Americans struggle to feed their families.

While other federal agencies quickly adapted their programs to the coronavirus crisis, the Agriculture Department took more than a month to make its first significant move to buy up surplus fruits and vegetables — despite repeated entreaties.

“It’s frustrating,” said Nikki Fried, commissioner of agriculture in Florida. Fried, who is a Democrat, and much of the Florida congressional delegation asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue nearly a month ago to use his broad authority and funding to get more Florida farmers plugged into federal food purchasing and distribution programs as the food service market collapsed.“Unfortunately, USDA didn’t move until [last week].”

Tom Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration, put it […]

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1 Comment

  1. Rev. Dean on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:04 am

    Farmers need immigration to work because immigrants are the people who harvest most of the food on large farms.
    As a side note I am harvesting lettuce from my sun-porch already as spring brings the warmer days. I also have many sprouts ready to plant as soon as it warms up a little more.