Contributed photo Food waste is the largest source of methane emissions in landfills. Photo from Adobe Stock.

A new report says food banks around the world are helping to significantly reduce carbon emissions, and local action is being taken in North Dakota.

The Global FoodBanking Network’s annual impact report found that food banks around the world saved 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year by keeping food waste out of landfill. The network includes food banks in more than 50 countries.

Stacie Loegering, executive director of the Emergency Food Pantry in Fargo, said the organization partners with local supermarkets and other big-box stores to donate food that otherwise wouldn’t be sold to customers to organizations fighting hunger like hers.

“Last year we distributed 1.5 million pounds of food” Loegering informed. “We only bought 10% of that, so we know there is a huge effort at a regional level to get food that simply can’t be sold into the hands of people who can’t afford it.”

Food waste in landfills is a major source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that absorbs heat faster than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Loegering emphasized that her team follows the Environmental Protection Agency’s food recovery hierarchy, which outlines the most desirable approaches to preventing food waste, with trips to the landfill being the least preferred option.

In addition to working with retailers, Loegering noted that there is some creativity emerging among local and state coalitions in supporting meal repackaging efforts.

“When schools finished serving meals, they would find a pan of vegetables that could have just ended up in the trash” said Loegering. “Thanks to the community’s efforts, they have now been repackaged.”

Loegering noted that they have a lot of food safety rules to follow, so finding space in the fridge is key. Another challenge is working with smaller businesses, like a local bakery, and putting together enough resources to transport their donations versus large deliveries from retailers.