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I want to share some good news about the state of food waste in the United States: According to a new report from ReFED, total surplus food dropped by 2.2 percent between 2023 and 2024, including a 950,000-ton reduction in residential food waste. For me, this is a clear sign of the power of citizen eaters to help steer the global food system!
But we still have a long way to go. The total value of surplus food in 2024 was about US$380 billion, meaning consumers still spend an average of US$762 per person per year on food they ultimately waste—and reducing food waste remains a key solution to a variety of climate and food equity challenges.
This month, Food Tank is co-hosting the 10th Annual Stop Food Waste Day Celebration, with Compass Group and Envision Charlotte, on April 29th at Innovation Barn in Charlotte, North Carolina. I hope you’ll join us as we reflect on the progress we’ve made and continue to strategize for the future!
You can CLICK HERE to find out more about the event, which will be a wonderful day of live music, important conversations, delicious food, and interactive experiences. And if you’re in Charlotte, just email Food Tank’s Events Director Kenzie Wade at [email protected] to request a ticket.
No matter where you live, though, Stop Food Waste Day is a global day of action—so you can join us via livestream as well HERE.
Speakers for this year’s Stop Food Waste Day include Amy Aussieker, Envision Charlotte; Richard Armenia, Feeding Charlotte; Michiel Bakker, Culinary Institute of America; Eliza Blank, Farmlink; Palmer Brown, Compass Group; Cate Brinley, Youth Changemaker; Chris Ivens-Brown, Compass Group; Chayil Johnson, Community Matters Cafe; Chef Sam Kass, Acre Venture Partners and Trove; Amy Keister, Compass Group; Riley Nelson, NASCAR; Kris Steele, Crown Town Compost; Harry Tannenbaum, Mill; Alyssa Wilen, Alyssa’s Kitchen, and Eleanor Zhang, Youth Changemaker; plus a very special surprise musical guest!
“My grandma would always remind me not to waste food, (but) it wasn’t just about the food itself,” Amy Keister, Global Director of Sustainability for Compass Group, told us at Stop Food Waste Day last year. “It was about respect for resources, respect for the folks who grow the food, and an understanding of how interconnected we all are.”
Throughout the afternoon, we’ll celebrate the people, ideas, and innovations helping to reduce food waste and build a better food system—one that keeps good food in our kitchens and communities, instead of in landfills. We’ll hear from producers and youth storytellers who are shaping the next generation of the movement, and we’ll conclude with a delicious reception to help us connect and keep building momentum.
Once again, you can CLICK HERE to grab your tickets to join us starting at 2PM ET on Wednesday, April 29.
As I mentioned—and as the data proves—citizen eaters at the household level have tremendous power to drive real change when it comes to food waste reduction, and I want to hear stories of how you and your communities are helping to bring value back into all parts of the food system!
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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
