SoCal Program Collects Unsold Produce to Curb Food Waste

Food Forward recovered over 600,000 pounds of food from farmers markets in 2025 to distribute to food security partners.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:00pm

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a farmers market produce stand, with soft, warm pools of light and color creating a dreamy, atmospheric composition that conceptually represents the repurposing of unsold produce to support local food security.A community-driven initiative to recover unsold produce from local farmers markets helps curb food waste and support food security in Southern California.Los Angeles Today

A California-based nonprofit called Food Forward has been collecting unsold produce from farmers markets in Los Angeles and Ventura counties each week and redistributing it to local food security organizations. The state generates millions of tons of food waste annually, contributing to climate change, and Food Forward's program aims to divert some of that waste from landfills.

Why it matters

Food waste is a major environmental issue in California, generating methane gas that contributes to climate change. Programs like Food Forward's farmers market recovery initiative help address this problem by repurposing edible produce that would otherwise end up in landfills.

The details

Each week, Food Forward collects thousands of pounds of unsold, but still edible, produce from farmers markets across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The organization then distributes this recovered food to local food security partner organizations. In 2025 alone, Food Forward reported recovering and repurposing over 600,000 pounds of food through this program.

  • Food Forward has been running its farmers market recovery program for several years.
  • In 2025, the program recovered over 600,000 pounds of food.

The players

Food Forward

A California-based nonprofit organization that collects unsold produce from farmers markets and distributes it to local food security partners.

California Department of Food and Agriculture

The state agency that reported California generates 5-6 billion tons of food waste annually.

LA County Sanitation

The agency that reported Los Angeles County generates up to 1.9 million tons of food waste each year.

Ventura County

The county that generates 24,000 tons of food waste annually.

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The takeaway

Programs like Food Forward's farmers market recovery initiative demonstrate how local organizations can play a key role in addressing California's significant food waste problem and reducing the environmental impact of this waste.