MSUS Culminating Experience Presentation Engaging with Food Recovery at Devour Culinary Classic Lexie Fields-Austin Spring 2019 Our Food System is Wasteful • 40-50% of all food in the supply chain goes uneaten • Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year • Reducing food losses by 15% could feed 25 million every year • 60% of food waste comes from the consumer side,including restaurants Sustainability Problems: Food Waste contributes to: ● Methane emissions ● Landfill size ● Increased energy, water, land used in food production ● Meanwhile, one in six Americans lack a secure supply of food to their tables Project Questions How can we use excess food as an input to feed hungry people? Is there a way to reach a large number of restaurants at once? What impact can we acheive from food festivals? Food Recovery is... ● collecting unspoiled, healthy food and donating it to our neighbors in need ● feeding people ● s upporting local com m unities ● s aving m oney Creating change at food festivals Managing the Project Planning for the Unexpected ● Restaurants cancelling due to bad weather ● Bees ● No dedicated supply cart ● Volunteer dropouts Partnerships for Success Engaged with over 70 restaurants at the event Outcomes Total Waste: 15570 lbs Total Waste Diverted: 7030 lbs 45% Total Food Donated: 500 lbs 431 lbs C02-e or 2.5% of the average American household’s food consumption Outcomes ● Provided food for over 100 refugees recently released from ICE care ● Supplied approximately 6 meals (3 meals/day for 2 days) ● Save AJJ $5,000 on food costs Zero Waste Events Overall Impact Overview of results Reasons for non-participation Percentage of waste Work Breakdown Structure How to implement this project in future years Client Recommendation Categories Organizational Structure Logistics Communication Financial Marketing Sustainability Recommendations Organization and Logistic Marketing Communication Financial Integrate food recovery into Green Team Activities Give restaurants who Ensure a dedicated donate a sticker on walkie-talkie to food recovery lead DCC website Ensure dedicated cart Give restaurants who Ensure all volunteers for transportation donate a DCC/LFA have the project sticker to go on their lead’s phone number website Ensure access to loading dock Take pictures of the recovered food for promotional purposes Sustainability Find partners willing Invest in reusable to make in-kind dishes and lids donations Use partners close to the event to minimize transportation impacts Educating Restaurants Diffusion of Innovation Information, Capital, Skills, Education Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Act Removes liability from restaurants who donate food Restaurants and chefs do not know their protections Educating Restaurants Food Pantries vs. Soup Kitchens Food pantries accept non-perishable goods Soup kitchens and shelters accept cooked food and premade meals Infrastructure to Donate Waste Not is a local non-profit that collects food from businesses to donate to shelters Future Steps Scale up food recovery at zero waste events Partnerships with Local First Arizona, Desert Botanical Gardens, or AZBCA Understanding barriers Comprehensive data on barriers restaurants face Create solutions to overcome those barriers References: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58e4061c197aea34f5405d98/t/596ff25ae 45a7c43fc71be6d/1500508766281/DevourAnnualReport2017_FINAL2.pdf Thank you! lfieldsa@asu.edu https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy https://devourphoenix.com/images/devour-culinary-classic-logo.png