Is The Beacon Food Forest a Solution to Food Waste?

One of the big problems facing us when it comes to food waste is transportation costs. Farms can grow a lot of food in one place, but for that food to get into our homes (and then into our mouths), it has to be loaded up, and shipped out. That represents a cost, and it’s why many foods that are still perfectly edible, but not attractive, are simply left to rot; it wouldn’t be worth the cost to ship them off to the market.

We see the same cost problem when it comes to getting food that hasn’t been sold to those who need it, like soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters. It’s simply too expensive to take food that hasn’t been sold, but which is still good, and get it to the people who need it.

When it comes to food waste, though, the answer just might lie in location. Which is why concepts like the Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, Washington could spark a revolution.

Locally Grown, Locally Used

The idea behind the Beacon Food Forest is a fairly simple one, according to Seattle.gov. Its purpose is to use public space to allow people to come together as a community, and to create locally grown, locally used produce. The goal is to rejuvenate the land, keep it sustainable, and to grow food that can be enjoyed by everyone in the community.

While this movement hasn’t caught on big (just yet, anyway), the possibilities are quite interesting. Because if public land around the country (or the world) is used to grow food, and there are minimal transportation costs to get that food where it needs to be, then more food could make its way to more people’s plates. This would cut down on food waste, but more importantly, it would cut down on hunger.