Food waste comes at an enormously high social, environmental and financial cost. Food is the single largest component of solid waste in the United States and rotting food creates methane, which is twenty five times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, 50 million Americans are food insecure and social services are already spread thin in our struggling economy. Attending to this destructive and inefficient part of our food system is an urgent issue. By reducing food waste and improving the food distribution system, Food Shift aims to reduce the harmful environmental impacts of food waste and feed those in need, while developing stronger more resilient communities.

Food Shift is an Earth Island Institute sponsored project dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system that curbs waste, empowers communities, respects the environment and nourishes all people. Food Shift educates and empowers consumers, businesses and communities by increasing awareness about food waste and inspiring food-related behavior change. By trimming our waste and diverting food loss, we can feed the hungry, create jobs, combat climate change, conserve natural resources, and cultivate more sustainable communities.

Problem

Nearly 50% of all the food produced in the U.S. is wasted each year. Food waste squanders water, depletes soil, wastes fossil fuels, and adds greatly to the world’s carbon footprint. Meanwhile, 50 million Americans are food insecure. Numerous organizations are working to address these issues independently, yet very little progress is being made to connect the dots between wasted food and hunger. This problem is eminently solvable, and Food Shift is working to create a distribution system that more effectively gets food from where it is in excess to where it is needed.

Solution

Food Shift fits firmly within the food and sustainability movement and is a tangible way for both consumers and businesses to invest in the environment and their community. The Bay Area is known worldwide for its consciousness and action around sustainable food and the environment. There are many groups working vigilantly to promote more organic, local and slow food, soil preservation, and “sustainable” food businesses. Yet, the conjoined issues of food waste and hunger are often missing from that conversation. Food Shift seeks to develop widespread solutions that effectively connect the dots between food waste and hunger. By focusing on this issue, building cross sector partnerships and developing new systems, Food Shift has identified a unique and important niche in the food system that no one else is tackling holistically. Food Shift’s pragmatic and resourceful approach engages the community as part of the solution and connects and builds on available assets and resources for maximum impact. Food Shift is using the power of networks and technology to create efficient and replicable initiatives, tools and systems designed to shift us toward a more socially and environmentally responsible relationship with food.Food Shift is developing creative community based solutions that leverage what already exists to create value for people and the environment from what would otherwise be wasted.

Example

The overarching goal of Food Shift is to solve the paradox of food waste and hunger through improving the food distribution system and helping businesses and consumers change their perceptions and behavior around food. We have three primary areas of activity: 1.Public Awareness Campaign Food Shift will launch a public awareness campaign in the Bay Area to educate communities and engage businesses around the economic, social and environmental impacts of food waste. This campaign will inspire awareness and action toward a more just and sustainable food system and will provide individuals and businesses with the tips, tools and resources they need to change their food waste habits. The model for this campaign is Love Food Hate Waste, a successful government-funded food waste awareness campaign in the U.K. Love Food Hate Waste has helped reduce household food waste in the UK by 13% over the course of three years. Food Shift will build on this proven model, while customizing the campaign to the local community. 2. Supporting Food Recovery Groups Food Shift aims to increase the quantity of food that is rescued and redistributed to those in need by supporting and expanding the capacity of existing food recovery groups. Currently, Food Shift is working with Food Runners, a well-respected food recovery organization that has been operating in San Francisco for 25 years. Food Shift is helping Food Runners to expand to the East Bay, where there is no comparable organization but substantial need. Food Shift is helping Food Runners expand their capacity and position themselves as a professional service provider, and providing expertise around creating compelling online content, effectively utilizing technology, enticing new donors and engaging new volunteers. 3.Business partnerships Food Shift is developing business partnerships with food establishments such as grocery stores, restaurants, universities, farmers markets, and catering companies. Food Shift will help businesses assess their food waste habits, develop food donation programs and provide educational materials to their customers. Businesses will experience cost savings from reducing wasted food and positive branding for exercising community leadership.

Marketplace

DC Central Kitchen is a nationally recognized community kitchen that recycles food from around Washington DC and uses it as a tool to train unemployed adults to develop work skills while providing thousands of meals for local service agencies in the process. DC Central kitchen is building a more just and sustainable food system by providing pathways out of poverty, reducing hunger and reducing food waste. Food Runners delivers approximately 10 tons of food a week that would otherwise be thrown away in San Francisco - enough food for 2,000 meals a day. Food recovery groups across the country play a hugely important role in helping to collect and redistribute otherwise wasted food and they are allies in this process. Food Shift will be working with Food Runners to enhance and expand their 25 year old model to the East Bay. StopWaste.org is dedicated to achieving the most environmentally sound solid waste management and resource conservation program in Alameda, California. Among other things, StopWaste accomplishes this through education, innovative programs, public policy and local partnerships. We do not see our peers as competitors; rather, they are our allies in this business and organizations we can collaborate with to address these issues of food waste. Our main competitors would be food compost programs, since many individuals believe that they are easy way to reduce food waste. However, these programs fail to address the heart of the issue.