By Madelon Bird
In 2013 the United Nations conducted a study analyzing the consequences of global food waste. What they found was staggering: approximately 1.3 billion tons of food – over a third of the food that is produced for human consumption, is wasted each year. With over 870 million people suffering from food insecurity and hunger, why is it that 30-40 percent of food is lost or ends up in landfills?
Strict aesthetic standards in grocery retailers, arbitrary ‘best-by’ dates, and unsustainable farming practices are some of the ways food waste occurs. However, individual behaviors and habits play an important role too. Simple changes, like freezing food before it expires, eating leftovers, and making a list before going to the store, can make a huge difference in how much food gets tossed each year.
See what else you can do to prevent food waste by checking out these campaigns working to promote awareness around food waste and create more sustainable food systems.
Organization behind it: Feedback
What they are doing: Each Feeding the 5000 event serves a free, delicious communal meal for 5000 people, using only fresh, top-quality food that would have otherwise been wasted. Each event brings together local organizations working to end food waste, and increases awareness of the problem of food waste.
What they are doing on social media: The Feeding the 5000 campaign is asking people to sign the pledge to Take #FoodWaste #OffTheMenu and to use the #Feeding5000NYC hashtag to share pictures, tips and ideas and other resources on how to reduce food waste.
Dates of Campaign: The first Feeding the 5000 event was held in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2009. Since then, there have been 36 Feeding the 5000’s, which have catalysed the global food waste movement. On May 10, 2016, New York City hosted its first Feeding the 5000 event in Union Square.
Tagline: Take #FoodWaste #OffTheMenu
Where: International
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Twitter: @feedbackorg https://twitter.com/feedbackorg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feedbackorg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5sFDAF-2fnocUaym_8rxxg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedbackorg/
Event Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89532_dbm4
Hashtags: #Feeding5000 #Foodwaste #OffTheMenu
Organization behind it: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
What they are doing: The Food Recovery Challenge challenges universities, business, and other community organizations to make their food management systems more sustainable. Participants are required to set baseline goals and report the amount of food waste annually that has been diverted into the EPA’s data management system. The EPA then takes the amount of food that has been saved and translates that into measures such as “cars off the road” or reductions in greenhouse gas. This helps participants share what they’ve accomplished, and encourages others to get involved.
Local organizations that participate in the Food Recovery Challenge include St. John’s university, D’Agostino Supermarkets Inc., and the National Hockey League: New York Rangers: Madison Square Garden
What they are doing on social media: Each year the EPA awards participating organizations for categories such as: Source Reduction, Leadership, Innovation, Education, and Outreach. Winners of the Food Recovery Awards are recognized on the EPA’s various social media platforms.
Dates of campaign: Launched in 2011 (ongoing)
Tagline: N/A
Where: National and regional challenges
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-frc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EPA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/epa
Youtube: Feed People Not Landfills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwNpnUUSk4M
2013 Food Recovery Award Winner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idUQXAz9xn4
EPA channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/USEPAgov
Organization behind it: Victoria State Government, Sustainability Victoria
What they are doing: The I Love Leftovers campaign seeks to reduce avoidable food waste by encouraging people to get creative with leftovers. The campaign’s website includes useful resources, like tips on how to prepare food and store food once it has been cooked, and a tool that helps users find recipes to make a new meal out of leftovers.
What they are doing on social media: The I Love Leftovers campaign is being promoted through the Love Food Hate Waste Facebook page. The facebook page shares different ways to make new and delicious meals out of leftovers as well as tips on how to store leftovers to make the most of food. On twitter the campaign has launched the hashtags #ILoveLeftovers and #LoveYourLeftovers, to encourage people to post pictures of the delicious meals made with leftovers and to spread awareness about the campaign.
Dates of campaign: Launched in June 2016 (ongoing)
Tagline: Great Taste is Too Good to Waste
Where: Victoria, Australia
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.vic.gov.au/about-your-food/do-i-really-waste-food
Video gallery: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.vic.gov.au/video-gallery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveFoodHateWasteVictoria/
Twitter: @SustainVic
https://twitter.com/SustainVic
Hashtags: #ILoveLeftovers #LoveYourLeftovers
Organization behind it: Sustainable America
What they are doing: The I Value Food campaign aims to raise awareness about food waste in the United States. The campaign’s website offers tools and tips on how to help end food waste, and features useful articles such as “Creative Ways to Use Leftovers,” or “Cooking for One with Zero Waste.” The campaign’s website also offers a quiz to help see how much food individuals and families really waste everyday. I Value Food will soon launch an online challenge and toolkit for reducing food waste at home, adapted from the EPA’s Food Too Good To Waste program.
What they are doing on social media: Through various social media platforms, I Value Food shares ways to reduce food waste. The campaign posts links on how to compost, how to cook with leftovers, and other useful resources. To spread awareness about the campaign, I Value Food is asking people to share the I Value Food promotional video, infographics, and tips on how to reduce food waste using the hashtag #IValueFood
Dates of campaign: Launched January 2015 (ongoing)
Tagline: Waste Less, Enjoy More!
Where: National
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://ivaluefood.com
Video about the campaign: https://ivaluefood.com/#animation
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SustainableAmerica/
Twitter: @fuelthefuture
https://twitter.com/foodfuelfuture
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainable_america/
Hashtags: #IValueFood
Organization behind it: WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme)
What they are doing: The Love Food Hate Waste campaign hopes to increase awareness about the environmental and socio-economic impact of food waste. Their website offers tips, recipes, and tools to help individuals and families reduce food waste and save money.
What they are doing on social media: Through various social media platforms, Love Food Hate Waste shares articles, tips, and recipes to help reduce food waste. The campaign launched a Love Food Hate Waste smartphone app that can help users plan meals, keep track of the food that is already in the kitchen, and send an alert if users are about to purchase any duplicates of ingredients. The app also allows users to unlock badges and share accomplishments with friends and family.
Dates of campaign: Launched in 2007 (ongoing)
Tagline: Saving You Money, Saving You Food
Where: United Kingdom
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lfhw_uk/
Twitter: @LFHW_UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveFoodHateWasteCommunity/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lfhw_uk/
Hashtags: #LoveFoodHateWaste #save food
Organization behind it: The Foodstand
What they are doing: The No Food Waste campaign aims to promote public awareness and understanding about more sustainable eating practices by offering tips and ideas on how individuals and families can eat better. The campaign hopes to empower the community to ‘ask what’s on their plate.’
What they are doing on social media: Share #NoFoodWaste recipes and tips using the Foodstand app or on the Foodstand website. Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to the Brooklyn Kitchen by sharing #NoFoodWaste tips and ideas. Promote awareness for the campaign by tweeting out the following : “I’m joining @thefoodstand to #BeAZero and practice #NoFoodWaste this month. Are you in? thefoodstand.com/no-food-waste”
Dates of Campaign: May 30, 2016 – June 30, 2016
Tagline: Be a Zero
Where: Manhattan, NYC
Links to different aspects of campaign:
Campaign Website: https://www.thefoodstand.com/no-food-waste
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/nofoodwaste/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodstandApp/
Twitter:@TheFoodstand
https://twitter.com/TheFoodstand
Hashtags: #NoFoodWaste #BeAZero
Organization behind it: Feedback
What they are doing: Massive amounts of soy and cereal crops are grown for pig feed, while a beneficial way of recycling food waste is not being used – feeding food waste to pigs. The Pig Idea campaign is working to encourage the use of food waste to feed pigs, to help reduce food waste and ease the environmental impact of growing pig feed, and to lift the European Union’s ban on feeding catering waste to pigs.
What they are doing on social media: On twitter The Pig Idea is sharing stories about food waste, posting research proving the benefit of feeding food waste to pigs, and posting statistics about the environmental impact of growing soy and cereal crops to feed pigs, for instance, how much soy it takes to feed one pig, and the environmental cost of growing that much soy.
Dates of campaign: Launched in 2012 (ongoing)
Tagline: Let Them Eat Waste
Where: United Kingdom
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://thepigidea.org
Twitter: @ThePigIdea
https://twitter.com/thepigidea/
Hashtags: #foodwaste
Organization behind it: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Messe Dusseldorf
What they are doing: The Think.Eat.Save campaign seeks to provide a global vision for reducing food waste. The campaign hopes to increase public awareness and create greater understanding about the total impact of food waste by exploring questions such as: What is the environmental impact of food waste? How does the overproduction of food affect our health? Can our food systems be improved to produce food more sustainably, and to better feed a growing population?
What are they doing on social media: Promotional videos, articles, and practical tips to reduce food waste can be found on the campaign’s website. The campaign has also created a Food Waste Toolkit that can be shared with family and friends to help everyone become more conscious consumers.
Dates of campaign: Launched January 2013 (ongoing)
Tagline: Reduce Your Foodprint
Where: International
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://www.thinkeatsave.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Think-Eat-Save-528670473857245/
Promotional videos: https://www.thinkeatsave.org/index.php/multimedia/videos
Podcasts: https://www.thinkeatsave.org/index.php/multimedia/podcasts
Hashtags: #ThinkEatSave
Organization behind it: National Resources Defense Council, Ad Council
What they are doing: Save the Food is a national public service ad launched by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and the Ad Council to raise public awareness about the environmental and socio-economic impacts of food waste. The initiative encourages consumers – who collectively waste more food than grocery stores, restaurants or farms – to reduce the amount of food that gets trashed, thereby saving the water, energy and money that are lost along with it.
What they are doing on social media: Share Save the Food’s campaign message by downloading promotional images, videos, and info-graphics from their social media kit and posting them to various social media platforms.
Dates of campaign: Launched in April 2016 (ongoing)
Tagline: Cook it, Store it, Save it. Just Don’t Waste It.
Where: National
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Campaign website: https://savethefood.com
Twitter: @SaveTheFood
https://twitter.com/savethefood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savethefoodcom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savethefood/
Social Media Kit: https://socialmediakit.adcouncil.org/presskit/save-the-food/
Hashtags: #SaveTheFood
Organization behind it: United Nations
What they are doing: Created by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the Zero Hunger Challenge aims to end hunger, eliminate all forms of malnutrition, and build inclusive and sustainable food systems. A crucial part of ending hunger and living more sustainably is reducing food waste by minimizing food losses during production, storage and transport, and reducing food waste by grocers and consumers.
What they are doing on social media: Show support for the Zero Hunger Challenge by updating personal facebook timelines and changing profile pictures to feature the #ZeroHunger hashtag and logo. Participate in various campaigns and action opportunities shared by the Zero Hunger Challenge, and read and share news and public interest stories that tell about progress for Zero Hunger all around the world. Join the Generation Hunger facebook group to interact with others who support Zero Hunger, and learn about new ways to take action.
Dates of campaign: Launched in 2012 (ongoing)
Tagline: Transforming our Food Systems to Transform our World
Where: International
Links to different aspects of the campaign:
Join the challenge, share the logo, and be part of the Zero Hunger Action Network: www.zerohungerchallenge.org
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ZeroHungerChallenge
Twitter: @ZeroHunger
https://twitter.com/zerohunger
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83AQhbbP97s&list=PLaiMGvdP8cQGQqn5c2r20euBkWSpEpHif
Instagram: @ZeroHungerChallenge
https://www.instagram.com/zerohungerchallenge/
Hashtags: #ZeroHunger
