Developing a Comprehensive Action Plan and Durable Coalition to Double Food Donation in Michigan
Double Food Donation in Michigan by 2030
Michigan must double the amount of donated food moving through its charitable food system by 2030 to meet state food waste reduction and food security goals.
The Doubling Food Donation in Michigan by 2030 initiative is building a durable, cross-sector coalition to expand food rescue, increase surplus food utilization, and strengthen the systems that distribute donated food to households in need.
This campaign is a response to the Michigan Food System Waste Reduction Roadmap goal to increase the supply of rescued food distributed through Michigan’s charitable food system. It is supported by a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
Opportunities to Double Food Donation
More surplus food can be rescued and redistributed with targeted investments in infrastructure, policy, and partnerships:
- Policy: Implement a state tax credit for food donations from farms, processors, manufacturers, and retailers to offset costs.
- Transportation: Establish a tax credit for delivery costs, incentivizing donation and reducing barriers for donors
- Collaboration: Create an Interagency Coordinating Council to improve alignment and remove regulatory obstacles
- Capacity-building: Strengthen food banks and hunger-relief agencies to receive, store, prepare, and distribute additional food safely.
The campaign emphasizes equitable access and healthy food distribution, ensuring rescued food meets the needs of end recipients and supports nutrition goals.
Surplus Food Potential
| Source | Surplus Food | Meals (3x/day) | People Fed per Year |
| Edible food sent to landfills from commercial businesses | 521,791,254 | 144,942,015 | 397,101 |
| Unharvested food on farms | 1,247,400,000 | 346,500,000 | 949,315 |
| Total | 1,769,191,254 | 491,442,015 | 1,346,416 |
What We’re Building
The DD campaign engages food businesses, processors, grocers, hunger-relief agencies, food banks, municipal sustainability offices, universities and colleges, research organizations, environmental and social justice advocates, local food policy councils, and government agencies.
Through this network, members share best practices and innovations in food rescue, storage, safety, transportation, and distribution.
Get Involved: Join the network to collaborate, learn, and help double food donations in Michigan. Whether you’re a food business, hunger-relief agency, or local advocate, your participation strengthens our statewide effort.
