Carhartt Donates $1 Million to Fight Food Waste
The donation is split between The Farmlink Project and Feeding America, timed to Giving Tuesday.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Carhartt has donated $1 million to The Farmlink Project and Feeding America, with half supporting Farmlink's work connecting farmers' surplus food to food banks. The gift is made in honor of Giving Tuesday, which falls on December 1 this year.
Why it matters
Food banks and pantries face growing strain after changes to SNAP work requirements, while large volumes of edible food go to waste. Farmlink helps farmers avoid the cost of disposing of surplus food.
Carhartt's $1 million gift is split evenly between The Farmlink Project and Feeding America, with Feeding America to provide 5 million meals across its network. Nearly 60 million tons of food, or 30-40% of the total food supply, is wasted each year, and agriculture companies have spent as much as $3,000 a truckload to dump surplus.
The players
Carhartt
Carhartt is a workwear apparel company known for its durable outerwear and its community and charitable giving programs.
Feeding America
Feeding America is a national nonprofit network of food banks that distributes donated food to people facing hunger across the United States.
The Farmlink Project
The Farmlink Project is a nonprofit that connects farmers' surplus food to food banks and redirects food that would otherwise be discarded.
The details
Farmlink uses social media, market insights, and other information to locate food that would otherwise be discarded, then picks it up from the farmer, manages logistics, and connects farmers to food banks. Carhartt will work with Farmlink to distribute food to Detroit-area residents ahead of Thanksgiving.
Timeline
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, SNAP work requirements changed for adults aged 16 to 59, who must now work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month.
Carhartt's donation was announced November 10, 2026, ahead of Thanksgiving.
Giving Tuesday, which the donation honors, takes place December 1, 2026.
Market Landscape
The donation responds to added strain on food banks that followed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's tightened SNAP work requirements, which now require adults aged 16 to 59 to work or volunteer 80 hours a month. Corporate food-rescue partnerships like this one sit alongside a food system in which 30-40% of the supply is wasted each year.
Detroit-area residents can expect food distribution ahead of Thanksgiving through the Carhartt and Farmlink partnership. Households facing tighter SNAP eligibility may find food banks stretched thinner, making donations like this one more consequential for local access.
The takeaway
Surplus food and hunger can be connected directly: Farmlink's model shows how redirecting food that would be discarded can reach households that need it. Individuals and businesses looking to help can support food-rescue networks like Farmlink and Feeding America.
What happens next
Carhartt and Farmlink are scheduled to distribute food to Detroit-area residents ahead of Thanksgiving 2026.
Further reading
For more on corporate giving that reaches food-insecure families, explore Philanthropy coverage.
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