Fighting Hunger & Food Waste: Why the Act Encouraging Donations to Persons in Need Matters

Food insecurity continues to rise across Massachusetts, while farmers and food businesses struggle to keep up with rising costs and labor shortages. A new bill—An Act Encouraging Donations to Persons in Need—aims to bridge this gap by making it easier for farmers and restaurants to donate fresh, local food to food pantries and emergency food programs.

What Does This Bill Do?

This legislation has two key provisions:

• Legal Protection – It provides civil liability protection for individuals and food establishments that donate food directly to consumers, ensuring they won’t face lawsuits for acting in good faith.
• Farmer Tax Credit – Massachusetts farmers would receive a tax credit for the market value of their donated food, capped at $25,000 per year per farmer. This helps farmers recover costs while supporting local hunger relief efforts.

Why Is This Bill So Important?

Food Insecurity Is Growing

More people than ever are relying on food pantries. The Greater Boston Food Bank’s 2024 “Food Equity and Access in Massachusetts” report highlights alarming food insecurity rates in Southeastern Massachusetts:

📍 48% in Bristol County – food insecurity rate
📍 36% in Plymouth County
📍 20% in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties
📍 18% in Norfolk County

Farmers and Restaurants Need Support

While farmers and restaurants want to help, they can’t afford to donate food at a loss. Many small farms already operate on razor-thin margins, often losing five cents for every dollar spent on production. Without incentives like tax credits, donating fresh food is simply not financially sustainable.

Reducing Food Waste & Fighting Climate Change

Every year, millions of pounds of edible food are wasted in the fields or sent to landfills. This bill would:

• Redirect more fresh, nutritious food to food pantries
• Reduce food waste that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions
• Support local farmers while helping families put healthy meals on the table

How Can You Help?

This bill is a win-win for food-insecure families, farmers, and the environment—but it needs support to pass. Here’s how you can help:

• Spread the word – Share this information with friends, community groups, and local businesses.
• Support local farms & restaurants – Buy directly from farmers’ markets, CSAs, and small food businesses.
• Advocate for change – Contact your legislators and tell them you support An Act Encouraging Donations to Persons in Need.
• Become a certified gleaner at Marion Institute’s Frogfoot Farm – Gleaners are trained volunteers that harvest crops from farms in Southeastern MA that would otherwise go to waste because the farmer doesn’t have the labor to harvest the crop or the market to sell it to.

By working together, we can increase access to fresh food, reduce waste, and support our local food economy.