Girl Scouts of the United States of America (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hunger and malnutrition does exist within the United States and is closely associated with poverty. The economic constraints of poverty suggest that low-income and poverty stricken populations have a more difficult time providing food for themselves and their families, more so than the rest of the nation.
Throughout the years the federal government has provided several programs to help off-set food insecurity among the poor, such as Head Start, free school breakfast, free school lunch, WIC, food stamps, etc. Despite the implementation of such federal programs, there is still an overwhelming need to distinguish poverty and fight food insecurity within the United States. Therefore, in a effort to reduce food insecurity within the United States food pantries, churches, volunteer groups, and other emergency food programs try to supplement these federal food programs.
However, last year the San Gorgonio Council of the Girl Scouts in Redlands, California let approximately 13,000 boxes of unsold, over ordered, unexpired Girl Scout cookies be destroyed and sent to a landfill. This needless waste of food which could have been donated is appalling. Apparently the Girl Scouts grossly overestimated just how many cookies needed to be ordered.
Chuck MacKinnon, a member of the San Gorgonio Council claims to have no knowledge of how the unsold cookies would be processed and admits to having no knowledge of their fate. The San Gorgonio Council claims to have no official protocol of how to deal with unsold cookies however, they have donated several unsold cookies and last year alone donated thousands of boxes. Perhaps they could have donated 13,000 more. I am sure the local food pantries, food banks, churches, soup kitchens, and other emergency food programs would have processed the cookies with better care.
The blame can fall on the bakery company who received the over ordered returned boxes, however in the end the cookies have the Girl Scouts name and logo on them and the thin mint stops there. According to Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer, Anna Maria Chavez, “the cookie box is the most tangible and powerful way for them to communicate directly with consumers.” I am confident this improper disposal of food is not the message the Girls Scouts intend to convey. Perhaps creating a policy that will address a more justified proposal for dealing with returned, unsold, unexpired cookies would be more beneficial to the Girl Scout corporation, its consumers, and the general population.
It is clear that hunger is linked to the poverty that spawns it. The problem however, is not just acknowledging this conclusion, but also assessing and addressing corporate, local, state, and federal gaps in policy which could intervene and aid assistance.
Social Policy 
Interesting point. I never really thought about where the unsold and unexpired foods, such as cookies, go. I definitely agree that there should be a policy that addresses the most beneficial way to dispose foods that are edible yet not used or wanted by the company/organization. I’m sure the non-profit organizations that provide food assistance to the low-income families would be more than happy to receive donations of any kind. Great article!!
Food wast is a huge problem in this country. Americans waste about 40% of all food produced as detailed in this report: http://www.nrdc.org/food/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf. Any type of waste is not only a waste of the food itself but the tremendous amounts of resources that went into producing it. Worse than wasted cookies, though, is the fresh produce wasted by retailers due to superficial damage or that is never even harvested from the farm because it isn’t cost effective. Food pantries absolutely need more food to stock their shelves, but they also need better types of food that can provide nutritional value for the poor.
Interesting and strange story. So it seems that there is at least some suspicion that this was done intentionally to protect the “brand” of girl scout cookies? Are there other examples of this scenario happening?