NOGALES, AZ — Americans waste about one pound of food a day, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Alongside several other produce companies in Nogales, AZ there is one working with a different approach.
President/CEO of Borderlands Produce Rescue, Yolanda Soto, says everyone has the right to food at an affordable price.
"Everybody has the inherit right to eat nutritiously at an affordable cost and I really believe that we all have the obligation to curb food waste."
For the last two decades, they've fought to keep produce out of landfills and in the homes of people in need.
Soto says they only receive produce from companies bringing it in from Mexico to be sold to grocery stores.
"We pick up large donations from the distributorships here locally and that is what we give out to our supporters all over the state of Arizona and 24 other states within our nation."
Soto says their organization has what are called P.O.W.W.OW's, meaning Produce On Wheels Without Waste, where every month they re-sell their produce. For $12 you can get 70-pounds of food.
"We tell them what makes up that 70 pounds and so there are little signs in that farmer's market in the boxes, so the people are doing their actual shopping."
On average, Soto says 35-million-pounds of produce passes through their doors.
But not wasting food isn't their only purpose either.
"So, if this product was going into the landfill, that's what we're saving, about two million pounds of gas emissions."
All information regarding donations and P.O.W.W.OW schedules and be found on the Borderlands Produce Rescue website.
