The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) announced a new video competition to raise awareness about food waste: “Make #NotWasting food a way of life.” The contest encourages the leaders of innovative and creative strategies for reducing food waste to submit short videos that demonstrate their efforts.
In the United States, an estimated one-third of all food is lost or wasted. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted while 1 billion people suffer from hunger and malnourishment. And, as food waste decomposes, it produces methane gas, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
Loss and waste occur throughout the supply chain—this video competition invites innovative thinkers and doers from across the food system to submit. Farmers, policymakers, local businesses, schools, and individuals based in in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico are encouraged to submit a 60-second video that documents their unique efforts to curb food waste in local communities.
Through this contest, César Rafael Chávez, the executive director of the CEC, hopes both to raise awareness and highlight the important work people are doing across the continent. He said, “By showcasing the work you are doing in your community to reduce food waste through the #NotWasting video contest, you’re helping other communities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States understand how they too can reduce food waste. Together, we can build a more sustainable North America.”
A panel of North American experts will judge the competition, selecting one entry from each country. The winners will be invited present the project at the inaugural North American Workshop on Food Waste Reduction and Recovery in early 2017, organized by the CEC. The deadline for submission is midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on December 9, 2016.
