Food Cowboy x Gap Inc Do More Initiative

FOOD COWBOY FEATURE

As reported by the National Resources Defense Council, Americans spend a staggering $165 billion each year on food waste, double the amount the federal government spends on food stamps. In total, Americans throw away 40 percent of their food, and it is estimated that more food is wasted by food companies in just three weeks’ time than is donated through the largest food bank network all year.

Because food is expensive to move, if it cannot be sold, it is not practical to preserve or transport.
For this reason, thousands of tons of wholesome but blemished produce is thrown out daily – not solely because consumers will not purchase it, but because distributors cannot find anywhere to donate to in time. A horrible irony exists as food companies pay large sums to have fruits and vegetables hauled away to landfills, while nearby charities also pay good money to purchase these same foods. But one start-up company is changing all of that, innovating new ways to feed their neighbors and protect the environment.

Food Cowboy is redirecting the fate of rejected food, with a mission to not only end hunger in the United States, but also to save food distributors (and the entire nation) a great deal of money. Instead of depositing food waste into landfills, Food Cowboy is utilizing mobile technology to route surplus food from wholesalers and restaurants to food banks and soup kitchens, where it can reach those in need.

With the development of a mobile app, Food Cowboy connects for profit and nonprofit food distributors, thus helping charities behave more like supply chain companies. Truckers and other donors can search for charities by location, operating hours, storage capacity, and loading dock type. In addition, Food Cowboy handles all scheduling and communications, making transfers that much easier. The app even processes the paperwork needed for donors to receive tax benefits, an incentive critical to its success.

To use the app, donors simply enter information such as food type, temperature, quality, and description, allowing food banks to know what they will be receiving. In response, these food banks provide logistics on when and where they are able to receive the delivery.

Food Cowboy's co-founder, Richard Gordon, came up with the idea late one night after attempting to drop off unwanted food. Richard, a long-time truck driver, would call his brother, Roger, to find somewhere he could donate the food. Most of the time, however, their attempts failed, since truckers off-load later than nonprofits are open. After being repeatedly turned down, they considered the possibility of an app to help food find people, in contrast to the countless apps available to get people to food.

The Gordons were well-versed in the distribution system, but they needed help in creating an app that would be attractive to nonprofits. Enter Barbara Cohen, the third co-founder, who contributes an impressive background in public health, nutrition, and hunger issues. Their team is working to address both the truckers’ concerns and the food pantries’ problems in one unified platform. Routes for truck drivers have become more cost-effective and efficient, and recipients are paying only ten cents per pound for donated food (a significantly discounted rate).

In just 18 months, the company has moved nearly 500,000 pounds of food, signed up close to 1,000 truck drivers, and is now allowing restaurants and local cafeterias to alert charities when they have donations. By taking deliberate action, Food Cowboy has moved beyond merely talking about hunger and waste, and is inviting everyone to take part in keeping the planet and its people healthy.

For additional information, visit Food Cowboy’s website.