Gleaning Cornwall

Aim

We help feed 15,000 people in need each week by harvesting crops that would otherwise be wasted & delivering it, for free to food banks etc

Who are we, and what is our project about?

By reducing food waste we reduce the environmental impact of this waste. Indeed if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world after China and the US! Last year we saved the 50+ food charities we regularly serve, £160,000 by providing nearly 90 tonnes of fruit and veg, and spared the environment some 218 tonnes of CO2e, (green house gasses).

We also offer talks and presentations where we discuss the importance of reducing food waste in our homes also.

Most things require energy, including food production. Our vegetables start as a seed, that have been cultivated, harvested, packaged, transported, then grown into mini plant-plugs in compost in large, often heated greenhouses and then transported to the fields. These are planted using a machine that has been produced using lots of different raw materials from around the globe and fuelled by diesel. The ground in usually cultivated and when soil is exposed to light, it loses some CO2. The growers may use fertilisers and artificial chemicals, which all have to be produced, often creating relatively high amounts of green house gasses and then these heavy materials are transported and mechanically applied, all adding yet more of a carbon footprint to that vegetable! It seems very wrong to then waste that veg. and all the green house gasses that it's production created.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Funding will enable us to continue running safe, successful gleans across Cornwall.  we get the gleaned produce, usually two or three varieties a week to 50+ food charities across Cornwall and west Devon feeding those who are struggling with the cost of living, sudden shocks, homelessness and sickness. 

How we’ll spend the money raised

We pay coordinators to source and arrange the gleans with farmers and teams of volunteers. Then, using our four pick-up trucks, (which need insurance, tax, MOTs, maintenance and fuel), and with volunteer support drivers, who are paid petrol money, we deliver to food banks, community larders and kitchens and hubs from Bude down to Saltash and from Oakhampton to St Just! These expenses form the majority of our costs.

We also pay for volunteer refreshments, (gleaning can be hard work), and for knives, cut proof gloves, potato sacks and net bags, apple pickers and promotional materials.

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too.

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

3. Volunteer with us (optional – remove if not relevant)

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through the ‘Contact’ section using the subject "I want to volunteer my time or expertise" on our project page.

This project successfully funded on 1st September 2025