Author(s)

ROBERT E WILLIAMSON IV

Abstract

Large amounts of food loss and waste exist alongside serious concerns about food insecurity. Food loss on farms often goes unaccounted for but may be as high as 1.2 billion tons annually. More of this could help feed the estimated 2.3 billion moderate to severely food insecure (per the 2025 SOFI report). Field gleaning or the post-harvest collection of leftover crops could directly remove losses on the farm level and help improve the quantity and quality of the emergency food supply through donation. Through a systematic examination of the literature, this review seeks to achieve multiple objectives: to examine current research on the benefits of crop gleaning as well as limiting and enhancing factors; to increase awareness of the practice of crop gleaning and promote its benefits and promote future research. A systematic search was conducted across four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Agricola and ProQuest’s Agriculture Science Database) resulting in 226 total results. After screening and adding additional articles through an ancestral reference list search, 23 articles were included in the present study. Understanding current barriers like perceived inconvenience, liability, field disruption and lack of information helps lead to solutions to overcoming challenges of gleaning organizations to facilitate increased donations. Farmers often want to donate if the process is convenient for them and they do not have to expend resources if their liability concerns are addressed. Promoting best practices for gleaning organizations such as improved infrastructure and collaborations with proper training and liability protections would make the process more convenient for farmers and facilitate an increase in the amounts of crops being gleaned.

Keywords

gleaning, food waste, food loss, emergency food, crop donation, food insecurity, food rescue