Our June climate heroes
This month, meet Holly, gleaning surplus farm produce in Cornwall to feed families in need, in our series on everyday heroes driving real change
"Together we tackle rural food poverty"
Holly Whitelaw works with volunteers and co-ordinators in Cornwall to give surplus farm produce to families in need.
Twenty per cent of children in Cornwall are in food poverty. I was in that bracket myself and had to borrow dinner money for my children. Everyone has difficult stages in their lives, but thankfully I live in a tight-knit community and I had support – many don’t. During Covid, I spoke with a friend who runs a local food charity who explained that she couldn’t get fresh produce and that one of their recipients had been diagnosed with malnutrition. Sadly, a lot of emergency food provision isn’t very healthy. I was able to access funding and, though we started very small, we now glean more than 80 tonnes of fresh produce annually and provide nutrition to 15,000 people in need each week. That saves food charities more than £160,000 a year and more than 218 tonnes of CO2.
Apparently, we’re the biggest gleaning organisation in Europe. Food production isn’t being subsidised as it used to, with payments being made for increasing biodiversity and soil health to aid resilience to, and mitigate against, Climate Change. There is enormous pressure on land for housing and renewable energy production, particularly in Cornwall, so it’s great that there are financial incentives for nature schemes on farms. But, it does mean that to minimise food costs, we need to reverse the trend of paying lots of middle-men to process, transport, package, market and sell us food. Gleaning also helps us reconnect with farmers and the land. Though it can be tough, you return home buzzing after enjoying outdoor exercise with great people, having helped the planet and people in need!
How to start a gleaning group
- First, find out from your local NFU who produces what and when, and know that on-farm food waste – up to a quarter of food waste in the UK – is not the fault of the farmer. Farmers have to overproduce to ensure they have enough produce of the right size and shape at the right time for their contracts, and Climate Change is making it harder for them to predict output. Sometimes their market disappears, or they can have a bumper crop.
- Talk to all kinds of local food producers. Food manufacturers and processors may have food that is not quite perfect, but still delicious.
- Find trustees, set up a charity, seek advice. You’ll need insurance, special equipment and transport. Fundraisers can help get things started – they can be great fun, bringing the community together and spreading the word.
- Be brave, it’s worth it!
For more information
- Check out a global map of gleaning groups in the UK.
- Feeding Britain has lots of information on food poverty.
- Contact Gleaning Cornwall for advice.
More on how to avoid food waste...
Max La Manna's exclusive low-waste recipe collection
How to reduce food waste: tips from the Good Food team
Zero-waste recipes for everyday
How to waste fewer potatoes
Top sustainable foods
Comments, questions and tips
