This past summer Food Recovery Network partnered with Baltimore City Schools to distribute fresh produce to area communities.
Originally posted on AGRILINKS 9.19.2024
As the Executive Director of Food Recovery Network (FRN), I have dedicated the past nine years to addressing the critical issues of food waste and food insecurity. It has been a journey that has brought me to a point of clear focus: we need to take action to bring about systemic change in our approach to food production, consumption, and distribution. And the time to make that change is now, and it has been now for a while.
When I became the Executive Director for FRN in 2015, I was driven by the belief that through the power of college students, we could make a tangible difference in the fight against food waste and hunger. Our model at FRN is simple yet impactful. We mobilize students to recover surplus food from college dining halls and surrounding businesses, safely package it, and donate it to hunger-fighting nonprofit partner agencies. This grassroots approach has allowed us to redirect millions of pounds of food from landfills to the plates of those experiencing food insecurity.
And our work goes beyond the college campus. There is surplus food all around us. We support large-scale events, corporations, and advocacy initiatives to create comprehensive food recovery plans and advocate for systemic changes. Our goal is not just to recover food but to take action to help address the root causes of food insecurity and reduce CO2 emissions to tip the balance on climate change.
It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the big numbers—47 million people in the US are hungry right now. And the large-scale nature of our current climate crisis can seem insurmountable and immeasurable. But there are simple and accessible things every person can do to take action and join the movement to reduce food waste. We can take a collective deep breath to ground and strengthen ourselves. Then, we must focus on small things we can do together to create a larger change.
1. Make a decision to talk to the person who just brought you your food
“Does your restaurant have a food recovery plan in place? No? Do you know why? Oh, maybe your manager might want to talk to me about it.” Just beginning these wonderful, curious questions can begin to change the issue. You do not need to be an expert; you just need to be curious.
2. Advocate for legislation to change the root causes of systemic food waste
Currently, advocates are working to get senators to sign on in support of the Food Date Labeling Act. Standardizing date labels is estimated to have a net benefit of $3.55B annually, mostly for consumers. It will also immediately prevent millions of tons of perfectly good food from going to landfills unnecessarily. Copy the letter we provide on FRN’s website and send it to your legislators.
3. Find out if your alma mater, current college, or college closest to you has a FRN chapter
Put FRN in touch with the sustainability department or connect us with your favorite professor to speak with their class about FRN.
4. Connect FRN with large-scale event planners or corporations
If you are planning a large-scale event or your corporation can benefit from hearing directly from our FRN team - reach out and let us know.
I am encouraged by the growing momentum behind the food justice movement. And our work is far from over. There are still millions of individuals and families who lack consistent access to nutritious food. Together, we must continue to raise awareness, advocate for policy changes, and grow the power of communities to take ownership of their food security.
I invite you to join us in this crucial work. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an advocate, there are numerous ways to get involved in the fight against food waste and food insecurity. Together, we can create a future where every person has access to an abundance of delicious food and our food systems are sustainable, equitable, and just.
Regina Harmon,
Executive Director, Food Recovery Network