This is the seventh post in our NFRD Who's Who series, a collection of interviews with the fantastic leaders who will be speaking at the National Food Recovery Dialogue from April 2-4. Stay tuned – we'll be sharing more interviews as we count down to the NFRD.
Pete Pearson is the Director of Food Waste US at World Wildlife Fund. Pete works on food waste prevention and food recovery, helping businesses understand the intersection of agriculture and wildlife conservation. For almost a decade, he has been working as a change agent within various businesses and nonprofits on regenerative agriculture, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Pete has led local and national sustainability programs within the retail grocery sector across 2,000 grocery stores in 37 states. He also has more than 10 years of technology experience with companies including Hewlett-Packard, Accenture and Albertsons. He has worked with public schools and hospitals as an independent sustainability consultant, co-founded a nonprofit focused on sustainable agriculture, and has also co-produced a documentary film on local food production. Pete currently lives in Washington, D.C. and enjoys fly fishing, boating, and exploring the outdoors with his family.
FRN: What are you looking forward to at the conference?
Pete Pearson: I always love getting together with passionate people who want to make the world a better place. So much is possible and these events are energizing.
FRN: Why are you passionate about food recovery?
PP: Food is a basic human need, and the choices we make as participants in the food system are directly linked to the planet, ecosystems and the species we want to save. Transforming the food system will revolutionize our relationship and impact on the planet.
FRN: What's your proudest accomplishment of your career?
PP: Producing, filming, and editing an independent documentary was one of the most challenging and rewarding accomplishments professionally. Storytelling is such a vital element to catalyzing change. To do it well takes incredible commitment, skill and creativity. I can’t wait to try it again!
FRN: Time for some fun. What would you say your spirit vegetable is?
PP: According to an online quiz, my spirit vegetable is Red Cabbage. No idea how that was determined, but according to Wiki, it’s an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K and contains anthocyanins which have anti-carcinogenic properties. :)
Interested in learning more about Pete's work with World Wildlife Fund? Register for the National Food Recovery Dialogue today and follow WWF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.