Meet the Team Behind: The Farmlink Project

The Farmlink Project connects farms with communities in need— rescuing surplus produce and delivering millions of meals to fight food insecurity across the country. Learn more here! 

Can you tell me about the need for your work? 

No one should go to bed hungry while perfectly good food goes to waste. In a world with a functioning food system, The Farmlink Project wouldn’t need to exist. Food would move efficiently from farms to communities, and waste wouldn’t be the norm. Until that system exists, we serve as the link—connecting surplus food to people who need it most. Our long-term goal is to help build the infrastructure that makes our work unnecessary.

What does your process entail? 

The Farmlink Project exists to ensure that no good food goes to waste while families go hungry by connecting farmers, transporters, and communities to deliver fresh produce where it’s needed most. We provide the missing logistical link in a broken system, delivering fresh produce at zero-cost to food banks. We don’t have processed foods, environmentally damaging packaging, or delivery fees, and we’ve created the largest network of farmers and food banks in the country. From our very first delivery to now, we’ve transported over 450 million pounds of food and made 375 million meals for those in need. 

What is the environmental impact of food waste? 

Millions of people around the world face food insecurity, yet a massive amount of edible food is wasted every day. The greatest challenge of our generation is how we will feed 10 billion people in a rapidly changing climate. When food is wasted, we also waste water, energy, labor, land, money, and increase greenhouse gas emissions from production and disposal. By rescuing surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, we prevent edible food from being discarded and redirect it to food banks and local organizations. The challenges our planet faces are immense, but the solutions are within reach if we take action now. 

Can you explain your FIELD fellowship? 

Solving the global food crisis will require countless innovative solutions to create a sustainable and equitable system. The FIELD fellowship catalyzes the next generation of ambitious leaders through solution development during the program and sets fellows up for impactful future careers. We select a small cohort of outstanding, action-oriented undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds who are motivated to create change in the food system. We offer a living stipend and cover the cost of transportation for our fellows.