We've Raised Awareness About Food Waste. It's Time For Action.
After preparing a meal, an eater makes compost from the food scraps.
Over the years, the conversations we've been having about food waste have changed.
At first, it was an effort to raise awareness that food waste was actually happening and worth addressing! And organizations across the food system have been very active in measuring the scale of food waste—because having that data is a crucial step toward solving these challenges.
Right now, we're in a place where folks who are engaged in the food system probably know that both in the United States and internationally, about one-third of food goes uneaten. And if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, just behind China and the United States.
I think ReFED Executive Director Dana Gunders is right about a lot of things, of course, but I think she's especially spot-on when she says that we've built up a status quo in the food system where discussions about food waste must be a 'standard part of any sustainable food conversation.'
At this point, all our discussions about food waste have to include a focus on empowering people to take action—and arming them with the resources to do so!
There are more grassroots organizations, startups, and innovators focused on creative food waste solutions than ever before. There are truly no more excuses to ignore food waste!
Food rescue organizations, such as Food Recovery Network on college campuses across the U.S. or Oz Harvest in Australia, are recovering surplus food and getting it to those in need. Interested? Here are 20 inspiring organizations doing this work worldwide.
Rather than wasting surplus vegetables from farms or fresh cut remnants, Matriark transforms them into healthy, low-sodium vegetable products like pasta sauce and vegetable broth. Interested? These companies are turning would-be food waste into useful upcycled products.
If you find you're constantly wasting the same things—coffee grounds, herb stems, a salad mix you forgot about—you can check out the book 'You Can Cook This! Turn the 30 Most Commonly Wasted Foods into 135 Delicious Plant-Based Meals.' Interested? These cookbooks are helping us take action starting with our next meal.
Apps in countries around the world help connect us with food waste solutions, too: In France, Magic Fridge allows you to search and share recipes based on what ingredients you have on hand, and in India, Seva Kitchen crowd-sources food distribution by connecting people in real time. Interested? These apps are turning your phone into a food-waste-fighting powerhouse.
For consumers like you and me, Mill is a company that develops food recyclers for our homes that compost food scraps. For producers, ColdHubs creates walk-in, 24/7 solar-powered cold stations to extend food shelf life and cut post-harvest losses.
When we call our elected officials and encourage them to act on food waste, we can show them the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas, which analyzes policy recommendations in countries around the world to reduce food waste and tackle hunger. When we remind leaders in the private sector that reducing food waste is profitable, we can back up our statements with ReFED's Insights Engine, which offers deep dives into 40+ food waste reduction solutions and the impact they can have.
It's not enough anymore just to build awareness about food waste without also giving people the tools they need to fight it. Fighting food waste is food system action. Fighting food waste is climate action. Fighting food waste builds a more nourished, just, equitable world!
On April 1, Food Tank is co-hosting an evening event in collaboration with Compass Group, NYU Steinhardt, and Mill to celebrate Stop Food Waste Day in New York City. We'll convene food systems experts, local food-waste warriors, Broadway performers, youth spoken word poets, surprise celebrity guests, and more, all with a focus on celebrating the ways we can all take action.
Speakers include (in alphabetical order): Jennifer Berg, NYU Steinhardt; Chris Ivens-Brown, Compass Group; Natasha Bernstein Bunzl, NYU Steinhardt; Andrew Fisher Jr., 10 Year-Old Youth Poet; Harrison Herz, NYU Steinhardt; Tony Hillery, Harlem Grown; Sam Kass, Investor, Chef, Policy Advisor; Amy Keister, Compass Group; Robert Lee, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine; Priyanka Naik, Celebrity Chef and Cookbook Author; Jennifer Noble, Broadway Actor; Prahlada Rastogi, 10 Year-Old Youth Poet; Merrill Schaefer, 13 Year-Old Youth Poet; Harry Tannenbaum, Mill; and more to be announced.
Stop Food Waste Day, an international movement, is the largest single day of action in the fight against global food waste.
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Forbes
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We've Raised Awareness About Food Waste. It's Time For Action.
After preparing a meal, an eater makes compost from the food scraps. Over the years, the conversations we've been having about food waste have changed. At first, it was an effort to raise awareness that food waste was actually happening and worth addressing! And organizations across the food system have been very active in measuring the scale of food waste—because having that data is a crucial step toward solving these challenges. Right now, we're in a place where folks who are engaged in the food system probably know that both in the United States and internationally, about one-third of food goes uneaten. And if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, just behind China and the United States. I think ReFED Executive Director Dana Gunders is right about a lot of things, of course, but I think she's especially spot-on when she says that we've built up a status quo in the food system where discussions about food waste must be a 'standard part of any sustainable food conversation.' At this point, all our discussions about food waste have to include a focus on empowering people to take action—and arming them with the resources to do so! There are more grassroots organizations, startups, and innovators focused on creative food waste solutions than ever before. There are truly no more excuses to ignore food waste! Food rescue organizations, such as Food Recovery Network on college campuses across the U.S. or Oz Harvest in Australia, are recovering surplus food and getting it to those in need. Interested? Here are 20 inspiring organizations doing this work worldwide. Rather than wasting surplus vegetables from farms or fresh cut remnants, Matriark transforms them into healthy, low-sodium vegetable products like pasta sauce and vegetable broth. Interested? These companies are turning would-be food waste into useful upcycled products. If you find you're constantly wasting the same things—coffee grounds, herb stems, a salad mix you forgot about—you can check out the book 'You Can Cook This! Turn the 30 Most Commonly Wasted Foods into 135 Delicious Plant-Based Meals.' Interested? These cookbooks are helping us take action starting with our next meal. Apps in countries around the world help connect us with food waste solutions, too: In France, Magic Fridge allows you to search and share recipes based on what ingredients you have on hand, and in India, Seva Kitchen crowd-sources food distribution by connecting people in real time. Interested? These apps are turning your phone into a food-waste-fighting powerhouse. For consumers like you and me, Mill is a company that develops food recyclers for our homes that compost food scraps. For producers, ColdHubs creates walk-in, 24/7 solar-powered cold stations to extend food shelf life and cut post-harvest losses. When we call our elected officials and encourage them to act on food waste, we can show them the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas, which analyzes policy recommendations in countries around the world to reduce food waste and tackle hunger. When we remind leaders in the private sector that reducing food waste is profitable, we can back up our statements with ReFED's Insights Engine, which offers deep dives into 40+ food waste reduction solutions and the impact they can have. It's not enough anymore just to build awareness about food waste without also giving people the tools they need to fight it. Fighting food waste is food system action. Fighting food waste is climate action. Fighting food waste builds a more nourished, just, equitable world! On April 1, Food Tank is co-hosting an evening event in collaboration with Compass Group, NYU Steinhardt, and Mill to celebrate Stop Food Waste Day in New York City. We'll convene food systems experts, local food-waste warriors, Broadway performers, youth spoken word poets, surprise celebrity guests, and more, all with a focus on celebrating the ways we can all take action. Speakers include (in alphabetical order): Jennifer Berg, NYU Steinhardt; Chris Ivens-Brown, Compass Group; Natasha Bernstein Bunzl, NYU Steinhardt; Andrew Fisher Jr., 10 Year-Old Youth Poet; Harrison Herz, NYU Steinhardt; Tony Hillery, Harlem Grown; Sam Kass, Investor, Chef, Policy Advisor; Amy Keister, Compass Group; Robert Lee, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine; Priyanka Naik, Celebrity Chef and Cookbook Author; Jennifer Noble, Broadway Actor; Prahlada Rastogi, 10 Year-Old Youth Poet; Merrill Schaefer, 13 Year-Old Youth Poet; Harry Tannenbaum, Mill; and more to be announced. Stop Food Waste Day, an international movement, is the largest single day of action in the fight against global food waste.
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The case for eating frozen fruits and vegetables
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'Fresh foods, on the other hand, are moved around and stored, so are typically several days older than their frozen counterparts by the time you get them home.' This means people often don't compromise on nutrition either, said Rebecca Riley, managing director of food and agriculture at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Vegetables, for instance, are frozen at their peak, which can help preserve vitamins and minerals, she said. 'They're very healthy,' Riley said. 'They're definitely just as good to use as fresh.' One analysis commissioned by a major European frozen food manufacturer found that most frozen items had an equal or lower carbon footprint that similar products using other preservation methods. The footprint of frozen items depends largely on the amount of resources that go into producing the food, whether the electricity needed to power freezers comes from fossil fuels or renewables, how long products are kept in freezers and the amount of food that is discarded, according to the study. But the study, which was independently reviewed, noted its findings suggest that when lower rates of waste for frozen foods are taken into account, these products can be the more climate-friendly option. 'When buying something frozen, shoppers should feel comfortable not worrying about the embedded energy, because the odds are higher that they're going to use and eat all of it,' which means less pollution created by wasted food decomposing in a landfill, said Robertson, who was one of the frozen food study's independent reviewers. Efforts are also underway to reduce the energy needed to process and store frozen food. A 2023 report found that raising the temperature at which food is frozen by 3 degrees Celsius could reduce food loss and cut carbon emissions by 17.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the amount of planet-warming gases released by 3.8 million cars each year. Meanwhile some companies are experimenting with lowering the freezing temperatures of their food products. For example, Unilever recently announced that it reworked its ice cream recipes to stay frozen at lower temperatures and planned to share the work with other ice cream manufacturers. The first step is to think about the foods you're regularly throwing out because they've spoiled, Robertson said. Those are items you should consider replacing with frozen products. For many people, produce is an obvious choice. Leafy greens, such as spinach or kale, fresh herbs and berries can spoil more quickly than other groceries. In general, frozen vegetables are 'a win on all fronts,' said Alison Mountford, founder and CEO of Ends+Stems, a recipe site dedicated to reducing food waste. Frozen food can also be helpful if you're pressed for time. 'It's much easier to grab a handful of frozen broccoli and throw it into a stir fry than it is to take fresh broccoli, trim it down, wash it, chop it up, make a mess,' Mountford said. If you're buying food that isn't frozen, you can extend its shelf-life by freezing it at home, Gunders said. Among her freezing suggestions: 'The freezer is a 'magic pause button' that can buy you extra time to actually eat the food before it spoils,' Gunders said. Freeze food in portions you'll want to use them in and make sure you store frozen products properly, Gunders said. Freezer burn is not a safety issue, but it can affect taste and texture, she said. After opening a package, seal it well and put it back into the freezer as quickly as possible. Of course, it's also worth keeping your frozen food out of the garbage. 'Shop your freezer,' Robertson said.
