Gleaner-farmer relationships: A study of recruitment and relationship development

Abstract

Food loss and waste is a significant issue in the global food system. The agricultural practice of gleaning—recovery and distribution of unharvested produce directly from farms or the recovery of un-sold produce from farmers markets—is seen as a multifunctional intervention, with the potential to address food loss, food insecurity, and the reliance of food pantries on processed food. While research has identified food donation and food recovery programs such as gleaning as potential solutions to issues of food loss and food insecurity, more research is needed to examine the actual communica-tive organizing practices associated with food recovery and gleaning efforts. With the aim of bet-ter conceptualizing the role that gleaning organizations might play in improving community food security and alleviating food loss, this study exam-ines how gleaning programs develop and maintain relationships in emergency food systems. Based on 12 semistructured interviews with Vermont gleaning professionals, we aim (1) to describe the relationship between gleaning coordinators and farmers, with a focus on effective communication strategies for initiating and maintaining the relationship; and (2) to determine if participation in gleaning can add value to a farm enterprise. Results demonstrate the importance of farmers’ sense of community responsibility and gleaners’ individual-ized communication with farmers and knowledge of farming practices to the development and maintenance of gleaning relationships.