Oregon nonprofit provides Umatilla Indian Reservation with healthy, sustainable food options during pandemic

At the Fujitsu factory in Japan, a significant decline in demand for semiconductor computer chips meant the company had large empty factory space sitting unused. A new business approach allowed them to dually address both the need to evolve their business model with a global decline of viable agricultural space needed to grow the world's food. Now, the factory houses indoor vegetable gardens, soil free and less resource-heavy than traditional farmland.

Organizations across Wisconsin work in tandem to combat widespread hunger using a combination of fundraising, nonprofit supply, and low cost food delivery services. While organizations use different methods to accomplish their mission, they all work together to lower the rate of hunger in Wisconsin.

Activists in Berkeley, California, are filling in what they say is a gap in homeless services during the coronavirus outbreak. Volunteers are safely delivering food and other supplies to those without shelter.

The Do-Good Auto Coalition in northern New Jersey is recruiting car dealerships and automakers to help shuttle supplies and food to people experiencing economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closing of restaurants, schools, and other businesses has created a disconnect in the food supply chain, with fresh produce stuck on farms with no easy way to get it to consumers. While there’s no quick fix to reduce food waste, the organization is hopeful they can bridge the gap between farmers and people who can’t meet their basic needs.

Comal Heritage Food Incubator trains immigrant and refugee women to start their own businesses in the food industry. Comal offers coaching, financial support, and connections to social services. It also pays trainees, which has been vital to endure the food industry shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. The group also ensures members have food, rent assistance, school supplies, or diapers for their children. They partner with the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network, delivering about 290,000 meals since the pandemic began. The model is working in other cities, including Seattle and San Francisco.

The Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture has helped the town of Ajo in Arizona distribute affordable and nutrient-dense food to the community after the coronavirus pandemic created a significant financial strain on many families. Additional support has come from the town's participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's program Local Food, Local Places which "provides technical support and expertise to help towns leverage food systems to boost economic development."

The Yurok Tribe, located in Northern California, depends on fishing to sustain a living. However, a severe drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a crumbling highway severely affected the tribe. So, leaders are turning towards new ways of making an income: a community garden.

The rapid development of emerging economies across Asia and Africa is lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty - but there is much debate as to how to best structure this growth. If these economies evolve in the same way as in the West - with unchecked, excessive resource consumption and heavy pollution - the planet may be on the fast track to disaster. Earthrise explores how these nations can grow sustainably using improved, eco-conscious technologies like renewable energy and eco-friendly farming practices.

A startup in California called Crop Swap LA is converting unused front yards into community gardens that can grow crops like kale, rainbow chard, and tomatoes as a way to feed neighbors. Community members can pay for subscriptions for up to $43 a month to receive a bundle of greens and vegetables from the microfarms and homeowners get a share of the profits. Each garden needs to have the proper maintenance, which can make it difficult to scale, but these gardens can help provide access to food to those who don’t have a grocery store in their area.

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank battled food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing groceries directly to consumers rather than its previous role of supplying other charities. Ohio National Guard members helped distribute food using a contactless pickup line where they put bags of food in the trunks of cars. Hundreds, sometimes over 1,000 cars were served a day.