76: Providing Fresh Produce to Underserved Communities & Measuring the Environmental Impact of Last Mile Changes

In this episode we speak with Max Teplitski and Mollie Van Lieu and discuss the challenges of increasing access to healthy produce in underserved communities. They explore the role of programs like SNAP, WIC, and produce prescriptions, as well as the need for public-private partnerships and technological solutions to address food waste. The conversation also includes personal experiences with gardening and tips for reducing waste. The podcast emphasizes the importance of advocacy for government engagement in achieving a sustainable and equitable food system for all, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in food justice and sustainability.Key TakeawaysLearn about the challenges of increasing access to healthy produce in underserved communitiesDiscover the limitations and potential improvements of programs like SNAP and WICExplore opportunities for USDA to buy fruits and vegetables directly from growers and make them available to those in needUnderstand the importance of programs like Double Up Bucks, Brighter Bites, and Common Threads in increasing consumption of fruits and vegetablesFind out about the potential of produce prescriptions and renewable energy sources in sustainable last mile distributionDiscover efforts to reduce food waste in the distribution of fresh produceLearn about personal experiences with gardening and tips for extending the shelf life of herbsUnderstand the importance of public-private partnerships and technological solutions in achieving equitable access to fresh, nutritious foodGuest Resources“Double Up Bucks, a program that was very important, near and dear to me when I was at USDA. I think it's a unique opportunity to build public private partnerships. Certainly a great example. We just need to continue to be more creative as we think about incentivizing consumption. (Max Teplitski)“The amount of food that's wasted is just staggering. Shocking. On average, a third of all food in the US is lost to wasted. For some fresh produce items, it's up to 70%. And to me this is just terrifying. (Max Teplitski)Show LinksInternational Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/