We Are Told Not to Cry Over Spilled Milk!

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(Source: Jena, Bikram. OdishaTV. “Coronavirus Lockdown Impact: Odisha Dairy Farmers Dump Milk on Road”. 2020)

A few summers ago, I took a job at a well known grocery store chain, and at the end of each work day, we would log all the food waste and dispose of it. I would frequently hold the produce I was logging out of our stock (Quantity Marked Out of Stock- what we called “Q-MOS”-ing), and would ponder what good the food could do if it were able to be donated, or consumed after we logged it out of our inventory. Most of the time, the food hadn’t been recalled, or expired food, it had just been returned, or found outside of the refrigerated section. I would hang my head in dismay, pounding each code into the ten key pad, and I would lament at the amount of food we were WASTING, that was sorely needed elsewhere. Perhaps even locally!

Cranney Farms in Idaho is giving about about 2 million potatoes so they don't go to waste.

(Source: Ibrahimji, Alisha. CNN. “An Idaho Farm Is Giving Away 2 Million Potatoes Because Coronavirus Has Hurt Demand”. 2020)

Flash forward to today, where amid the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, we are seeing farmers cursed with abundant produce, that they are not able to sell due to the global pandemic. Potato farmers are donating their excess, that would ordinarily be used for French fries in restaurants, and instead losing hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of revenue. If the pandemic keeps up, people WILL lose their farms to coronavirus. Similarly, Because people are unable to sell their goods at this time, they cannot afford the feed for their livestock, and consequently, have been protesting by dumping their milk. Worldwide, we are experiencing shortages and disruptions in the food and agriculture industry. Farmers need fair compensation for their lost revenue, and loss of livelihood during this pandemic, and we need to protect our food workers at every step of the process from farm to fork so that we can prevent famine and economic depression.

473 thoughts on “We Are Told Not to Cry Over Spilled Milk!”

  2. It’s disheartening to hear about food waste, especially when so many people are in need. Your experience highlights the importance of donating surplus food instead of discarding it. Maybe grocery stores could implement a program where employees can suggest local charities for food donations. Speaking of managing resources, I often think about Papa’s Pizzeria — it’s all about making the most of ingredients! Imagine if grocery stores ran like that, maximizing every item for the community’s benefit.

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