ReFED Food Waste Summit

Our manager, Grace Clare, shares her experience attending the ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit. In May, I had the opportunity to attend the ReFED Food Waste Summit in St. Louis, Missouri. This premier food waste event brought together food businesses, funders, solution providers, innovators, policymakers, and non-profits to drive the adoption of food waste solutions. It was inspirational and motivating in so many ways. One of the conference’s highlights was visiting Operation Food Search, an independent food rescue organisation committed to meeting immediate needs, providing nutrition education and championing change. The conference also featured a valuable workshop that addressed research gaps in food waste, emphasising the importance of data and reporting, system knowledge, and collaboration. The summit provided valuable insights into innovative approaches, the utilisation of technology, and the crucial role of community engagement. Posing the question, "Has the time come for the fight against food waste to move beyond a "movement" where the scale of efforts matches the potential of opportunities its resolution brings?" Thank you to the University of Otago and the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) for supporting my attendance. You can read a great summary of the summit on the ReFED blog here.