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Market-based rescue: MARC, PWPM, Philabundance and Sharing Access describe produce‑rescue operations and infrastructure needs
Summary
Representatives from the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM), the Mid Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), Philabundance, and Sharing Access described a system that diverts large volumes of surplus fresh produce to food banks and called for continued support for cold‑chain logistics, tax incentives and local composting/biogas capacity.
Mark (representing the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market) and leaders from the Mid Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC), Philabundance and Sharing Access told the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee that the produce terminal and associated rescue programs are a major source of fresh donations to the charitable food network.
Mark said the market and its partners donate and redirect large volumes of produce; he described partnerships and capital investments that helped the market become a large refrigerated terminal and said the facility and its partners donate and redirect millions of pounds each year. John Shortino, director of operations for MARC, said the cooperative distributes over 1,000,000 pounds of fresh produce weekly to member food banks and the Feeding America network and that MARC sources more than 50 distinct items for partners.
Lauren Webb of Philabundance said her organization rescues about 75,000 pounds of food per day — roughly two tractor-trailers daily — and has distributed more than 112,900,000 pounds of rescued food between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2024. Evan Ehlers of Sharing Access described a terminal-based rescue pilot that has redistributed more than 25,000,000 pounds of produce from the PWPM in recent years and credited the NAP tax-credit program for incentivizing donations; he said the credit returns about 55% of the donated-food value to donors and makes the logistics viable.
Witnesses highlighted operating costs and logistics as constraints: rising labor, transportation and input costs affect prices and the ability to purchase surplus; refrigerated trucks, drivers and warehouse space are in demand; and local composting or biodigestion capacity is limited. Witnesses said some wasted or non-donateable food is sent to a biodigester in Trenton, N.J., and that on-site composting or local anaerobic digestion facilities in Pennsylvania could lower costs and increase local circularity.
Ending: Market and rescue operators asked legislators to consider incentives, grant support for cold‑chain and processing infrastructure, and continued funding for programs (including the NAP credit and the PAS program) that keep fresh food moving to people who need it.
