International Food Exchange Project

Representatives of “Bancos de Alimentos de Mexico” or BAMX gathered with Roadrunner Food Bank leadership in the summer of 2024 to establish the International Food Exchange Project. The first of a kind agreement between bi-national food banks will help capture excess fruits and vegetables through a process known as food rescue to reduce the amount of good quality food that often goes to waste. BAMX leadership who came up to Albuquerque for the signing agreement represent a group of more than 50 Mexican based food banks.

Dana Yost, President and CEO of Roadrunner Food Bank said, “Food sharing among US based food banks has been in practice for decades. By deepening existing relationships with fellow food banks in Mexico, we are providing an important outlet of quality fruits and vegetables that often have no buyer once it reaches the U.S. Typically, millions of pounds of produce coming through ports of entry on our southern border would go unused and wasted with no food buyer in place. This partnership and agreement will help reduce food waste and increase quality food products to food banks on both sides of the border. And the big win is that it increases nutritious food access to people facing hunger whether they live here or in Mexico. After all, hunger has no border.”

One important aspect of the International Food Exchange Project is that any produce rescued in Mexico will have priority to be used by Bancos de Alimento de Mexico member food banks first. Any excess identified will then be utilized by Roadrunner Food Bank or other regional food banks where food sharing is already a common practice among food banks based in the U.S.

As part of the joint agreement, the two organizations are both committing to ensure the operational pieces of the International Food Exchange Project are successful by:

• Identifying excess produce in the field and produce that may be “imperfect in look and size” which is typically difficult to find a buyer for.
• Identifying and building relationships with growers, producers, exporters and other bi-national partners to discover excess food products with no established buyer to secure as “rescued” in-kind food donations.
• Utilizing rescued and donated food first through Mexican based food banks and coordinate with Roadrunner Food Bank’s team to deliver excess produce among southwestern based U.S. food banks.
• Working together to identify funding needs and donor support for cutting, packaging, logistics, customs procedures, and long-term needs of the project.
• Documenting and compiling process and improvement recommendations to create a guide to expand the pilot and establish benchmarks.
• Identifying challenges and lessons learned with the initial phase of the program.

Yost said, “The resources it takes to grow food are tremendous. There is no need to add to the world’s waste stream when there is a perfectly good outlet for it. When we have the operational pieces in place and can get to this unsalable food timely, its end use can be lifechanging for so many in our communities that face hunger.”