Arizona’s No Borders No Limits Produce Program

The Arizona Food Bank Network’s No Borders No Limits Produce Program ensures fresh, healthy produce is rescued.

Last summer’s substantial expansion of Arizona Food Bank Network’s No Borders No Limits Produce Program ensures that AzFBN simultaneously address the issues of hunger AND food-waste. This year AzFBN’s goal is to rescue 50 Million pounds of produce (much of which would have gone to a landfill!), distribute it to their partner food banks, and get it to Arizonans experiencing Hunger.

Almost 40 years ago, the No Borders No Limits Produce Program had modest expectations of things they could do to ensure a better supply of fruits and vegetables for those who needed it most. Field by field, their “gleaning” project did literally that – walking harvested rows to find produce that was left behind by agricultural machinery.

Over time, this work evolved into its most recent form, where AzFBN’s member food banks work with growers, manufacturers, brokers, stores, restaurants and more to get perfectly good food – most of which would otherwise be wasted – to food bank warehouses and smaller agencies that feed people who don’t know where they will get their next meal.

AzFBN has been a critical partner in this work, adding more resources in the form of staff support, drivers, semi tractor trailers, and more to the statewide business of making sure we use as much excess food as possible at food banks.

For the first time in the program’s history (and through an agreement with food banks across the state) they are assuming a role in produce sourcing through activities in Nogales, Arizona, which is a hub for produce coming in to the US from Mexico.

Situated on the Nogales Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, the No Borders No Limits Produce Program team (formerly known as Nogales Produce Rescue) serves as stewards of one of the largest and most phenomenal produce superhighways of Mexican-grown produce in the world. 6 Billion Pounds of produce pass through Nogales every year, destined for the U.S. Market and beyond. The Rescue team addresses the portion of that 6 Billion that does not get sold, and redirects it to families and food banks in need of hunger relief.

Last year, the AzFBN team in Phoenix – along with the produce program team in Nogales – coordinated food loads to over 21 food banks, totaling 38,626,501 pounds! Some of these loads made it all the way to food bank partners as far as New York.

Previously, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona (CFBSA) ran this operation, however, since the benefits of capturing excess produce (many times preventing this product from going to a landfill) reach far beyond CFBSA’s service area, this work is transitioning to AzFBN. This means a substantial expansion of the No Borders No Limits Produce Program operation.