Ever since launching my Wasted report in 2012, I have found myself in the middle of an exciting firestorm of interest on how to get America and Americans to waste less food. From policymakers to school teachers to large retailers to aspiring entrepreneurs, there seems to be boundless energy and enthusiasm to solve the massive problem of how much food we waste across the country. It’s been beautiful, exciting, and completely overwhelming. With so many people getting involved in fighting the good food waste warrior fight, I’ve longed for a way to keep track of what’s happening, who’s doing it, and what new research is coming out.
Today, I’m thrilled to announce Further with Food, a Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions. It’s “an online hub for the exchange of information and solutions that can help realize the national goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.” In other words, Information Central for all of us trying to keep track or get up to speed on the food waste topic.
Further With Food will feature content on best practices for preventing, recovering and recycling food loss and waste; educational materials; research results; and information on existing government, business and community initiatives. In addition to housing the latest research, Further with Food will help disseminate best practices and enable coordination among stakeholders, thus reducing duplication of efforts. With so much work to do, this coordination can help us go further faster.
The site is a collaboration of many organizations, of which NRDC is proud to be one. Partners are the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Feeding America, Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, National Consumers League, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Restaurant Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, World Resources Institute, and World Wildlife Fund. Major funding was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Keystone Policy Center provided technical assistance to the coalition.
Without Further (with Food) ado, go check it out!