Food that is discarded or lost uneaten
POPULARITY
Categories
On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Janie Simms Hipp, President and CEO of Native Agriculture Financial Services. They discuss the barriers farmers face in accessing capital and technical assistance; how the closure of local government offices will hurt rural communities, including Tribal nations; and why we need food and financial systems that come to terms with reality and gives farmers more grace by creating room for them to experiment, make mistakes, and recalibrate. Plus, hear about what the federal tax-and-spending will mean for food and health systems, Japan's progress on food loss and waste, the heatwaves hitting European farmers, and investments that will scale and accelerate climate action. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!In this episode our hosts Barry O'Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Katie Hanton-Parr, the visionary founder of Baboodle - a circular rental platform specifically designed for baby equipment.Katie's story is one of passion, perseverance, and innovation—born out of her own experience as a parent grappling with the challenges of accessing safe, high-quality baby gear without the waste and cost of traditional ownership.Throughout the episode Katie talks about the many layers involved in running a circular rental business in such a sensitive and highly regulated space. From managing rigorous safety and hygiene standards to the complexities of reverse logistics, Katie explains what it takes to keep every item in Baboodle's inventory reliable and ready for the next family. One of the key themes is repairability: ensuring products can be fixed and maintained rather than discarded, which is vital to the sustainability mission but often tricky in practice.We also delve into the technology that underpins Baboodle's operations. Katie shares how the team integrates specialised circular economy software for handling rental logistics, inventory management, and refurbishment workflows. She gives examples of crucial tools for digital subscriptions and recurring billing, combined with seamless warehouse and fulfillment operations. This tech stack allows Baboodle to handle complex customer journeys, whether it's a simple rental, a rent-to-own arrangement, or a resale option, all while maintaining transparency and control over each product's lifecycle. Katie emphasizes how crucial it is to have a system built specifically for circularity—not just repurposed e-commerce tech—so that the platform can scale and adapt.Tune in to hear more about Katie's blend of practical wisdom, innovative use of technology, and genuine care for families and the environment that makes this episode truly inspiring!This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
Food waste is one of the biggest environmental and economic challenges we face — and much of it happens long before the food reaches our plates. In this episode, we meet the people working to tackle the problem in different ways. We hear about the smart sensors which could help cut down waste by measuring when food has actually gone bad rather than relying on one-size-fits-all expiry dates. And in Scotland Myra visits the start-up turning waste from whisky production into fish food.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines(Image: Myra Anubi with Euan Kinninmonth at the Eden Mill distillery, St Andrews, Scotland, BBC)
Americans were projected to toss 126 million pounds of food after Independence Day—at a record-high cost.
A collaboration between Aston University in the UK and RAD Global will help small farmers in East Africa keep food fresher for longer, preventing food waste and improving livelihoods. Working with other partners they have developed pioneering cold storage boxes which can keep food fresh without access to grid electricity. Affordable cold boxes for small farmers in East Africa Whilst working in Uganda, Tim Messeder, founder of UK agricultural development company RAD Global, noticed that small scale fishers in Uganda had a major problem keeping fish fresh. The African country is large, and this causes an issue in keeping fish fresh in the blistering heat after it is caught from Lake Victoria and from various fishponds spread around the country in remote locations. The fishers, many of whom are women, have to transport their catch for up to nine hours during which time their harvest goes off. Surveys across the region reveal that 42% of traders experience fish spoilage due to inadequate cooling, resulting in lost income and increased food insecurity. To help prevent waste Tim drew up a plan for a cool box that could keep fish fresh for up to 48 hours, could be transported on the back of a motorcycle and was affordable to people on very low incomes. He contacted Aston University and between the two they developed his idea into the prototype now known as RADiCool, which aims to extend the safe selling window for fish from 12 to 24 hours. The prototype development was supported by the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund. The RADiCool system features a lightweight, insulated cold box powered by advanced phase change material (PCM) and integrated internet of things (IoT) technology for real-time temperature and GPS monitoring. The innovative system cools fish from 25°C to refrigeration temperatures within four hours and maintains cold storage conditions for over 24 hours, without additional pre-cooling capacity. Purpose-built to fit on motorbikes - the primary transport mode for rural vendors - RADiCool is practical, scalable, and tailored to first and last mile delivery needs in resource-constrained settings. PCM technology is an environmentally friendly solution for maintaining cooling temperatures. The materials absorb and release energy as they transition from solid to liquid and back again, similar to the process of ice melting and refreezing. These specially designed PCMs can maintain a consistent cold temperature for extended periods without the need for continuous electricity. This makes them particularly suitable for transporting food, medicine, and other temperature-sensitive items in an energy-efficient way. The PCM panels for RADiCool are frozen in solar-powered hubs for later use in precooling and storing the fish at the desired temperature. Tim Messeder said: "RADiCool brings together cutting-edge technology while taking into account the challenging realities of the African context. "We are committed to empowering small-scale traders with sustainable solutions that reduce waste and improve livelihoods." The project's success marks a major step forward in addressing the cold chain gap in Africa's informal food markets. Through field testing and technical iteration, the team has developed a system that can function effectively off-grid, supporting food security and economic resilience in the face of climate and infrastructure challenges. RAD Global and Aston University are now focusing on scaling and commercialisation. Planned next steps include finalising the new special design PCM panels, partnering with manufacturers, expanding field trials, and deploying a pay-per-use business model to increase accessibility. Ongoing collaboration with other partners (ThinkAqua UK, Therma-Inova UK and Dulotrop Uganda) will ensure further staff training, impact evaluation, and long-term sustainability. "RADiCool demonstrates the power of cross-sector innovation in addressing global development challenges," said Dr Ahm...
About this episode: American farms, restaurants, retailers, and households throw out nearly 30% of the food in our system, landfilling millions of tons of food each year and draining resources like land and energy. Households generate the most waste, with everyday cooks overbuying at grocery stores and throwing away a substantial portion of their purchases—but getting ahead of those scraps can make a big difference. In this episode: ReFED's Dana Gunders covers the environmental costs of food waste and shares immediate action items to better manage it. Guest: Dana Gunders is a national food systems expert and the president of ReFED—an organization that researches and promotes evidence-based action to end food waste. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: From Surplus to Solutions: 2025 ReFED U.S. Food Waste Report—ReFED Marylanders toss out more than 1 million tons of food each year. How do we reduce waste?—WYPR From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System—Public Health on Call (June 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
The average person throws out 10 per cent of the food they buy every year. Research by BWG Foods shows that's about 660 euro worth of food per person. 81 per cent of shoppers say they try to limit their food waste, while 72 per cent say they're doing it because of rising food costs in recent years. Killarney native, Machaela O’Leary, is sales manager with Too Good To Go, she speaks to David.
We were live this week at ReFED's Food Waste Solutions Summit in Seattle. We had an interview stage on the show floor, where we caught up with a number of great folks to hear their thoughts on innovation in food waste and beyond. This conversation is with Andrew Shakman, the CEO of Leanpath. You can read my article about this conversation at The Spoon. You'll also want to check out Eva Goulbourne's conversations with folks from the ReFED conference over on her podcast, Everything But The Carbon Sink. Finally, make sure to check out The Smart Kitchen Summit, our virtulal event in July where we'll talk to leaders across the food system about the state of food tech and much more! Use discount code PODCAST for 15% off tickets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Australian households could be throwing out up to $2,500 a year of perfectly good food, because of unclear labelling
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!In this episode our hosts Barry O'Kane and Jo Weston are joined by Yann Toutant, CEO and Co-founder of Black Winch who are the world's exclusive authority in Product-As-A-Service (PaaS) solutions. At the beginning of the conversation Yann explains Black Winch's work and how they engage, inspire and empower intrapreneurs to achieve their PaaS ambitions by building and scaling their in-house recurring revenue models. Drawing on his experience guiding manufacturers through the transition to outcome-based services, Yann offers a deep dive into both the opportunities and the operational realities of implementing PaaS and discusses the importance of a long-term thinking strategy to make PaaS successful in any business.Yann also highlights key differences between B2B and B2C adoption of as-a-service models and talks about how technology plays a critical role in enabling these models. He outlines the importance of asset tracking, consumption data, billing complexity management, and reverse logistics—all underpinned by flexible tech stacks that evolve as the business scales. Looking ahead, Yann envisions that manufacturers will want to retain ownership of raw materials and explains how urban mining and material recovery will become strategic advantages.Tune in to learn about how new generations of data-driven leaders will continue to accelerate the shift towards PaaS and much more!This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
Six innovators from Melbourne and Bandung tried to devise innovations to tackle food waste. What are these innovations? - Enam inovator dari Melbourne dan Bandung berusaha mencari solusi untuk mengatasi limbah makanan. Seperti apa inovasi mereka?
New Zealand scientists have developed a new technology to reduce food waste and import dependence. The waste system takes perishable food before it hits landfill and turns it into shelf-stable powders, concentrates, and extracts for food. Director of Powered by Plants Dr. Andrew Prest says the concept came from frustration with the current production model. He told Mike Hosking it's a good opportunity to address the country's environmental waste, as powders can be produced from almost any fruit or vegetable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Toward Zero Waste's Megan Holler shares her journey of bringing share tables to Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina.https://towardzerowaste.org/share-program/https://www.wral.com/news/education/more-wake-schools-turning-wasted-food-into-snacks-for-students-june-2025/
High School Senior Elliot Pomper shares his journey establishing "Fruitful", an initiative focused on recovering perfectly good fruit from the trays of students that they choose not to eat for any reason and donating it to a local food pantry.
Listen to the Peace Jam Club at Pittsfield HS in Massachusetts share their school food waste solutions in partnership with Mary Summers' Tommy's Composting.
What if we could turn the mountains of food waste we generate every day into high-value chemicals that replace fossil fuels and palm oil—two of the most environmentally destructive inputs in our economy? That's exactly what this episode's guest is doing. Marc den Hartog is the CEO of ChainCraft, a Dutch biotechnology company using fermentation to convert agricultural waste into medium-chain fatty acids—essential building blocks for everything from fats for foods to lubricants to bioplastics and fragrances. Founded as a spin-off from Wageningen University, ChainCraft is pioneering open-culture fermentation process that offers a scalable, circular alternative to petroleum-based chemicals. And they're not just operating at the lab bench—in addition to having raised 40 million euros in investment so far, the company already has a pilot facility in Amsterdam producing 2,000 tons of fatty acids per year, with plans for a full-scale industrial plant underway. Marc joined ChainCraft after a distinguished career in the chemical industry, including senior roles at Corbion and other global players. Now, he's applying that experience to scale a cleantech company aiming to rewire one of the dirtiest parts of our supply chains—chemical production—into a model of sustainability. In this conversation, Marc and I talk about how ChainCraft's technology works, why food waste is a goldmine of untapped value and what it will take for his team to go from demo plant to commercial scale. If you care about the future of sustainable industry, the circular economy, or just finding smarter ways to deal with the waste we already produce, you're going to love this episode.
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!In this episode our hosts Barry O'Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Ryan Atkins, the co-founder and CEO of Supercycle - a circular commerce platform that enables rental and resale natively in Shopify.Ryan explains that scaling circular business models depends on overcoming integration challenges between physical product flows (repair, refurbishment, cleaning) and digital commerce (Shopify, customer experience). In this conversation we learn that while platforms like Supercycle can provide the core technology and integration "pipes," each brand has unique requirements in logistics, customer experience, product flows, and back office systems.Ryan also discusses collaborations with specialist partners, from 3PLs that can handle circular operations to integration and professional services partners that allow brands to tailor and scale their circular offerings. Without this ecosystem of enablers, it would be impossible to support the variety of customer journeys that circular models demand. Tune in to learn more about how circularity is reshaping e-commerce, the technology driving it, and why strong partnerships are the foundation of successful circular systems!This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
According to a new report by NZIER, Kiwi households are wasting thousands worth of food every year. New Zealanders waste $1500 worth of food annually, and new data shows the country is among one of the highest producers of general waste in the OECD - and that it has some of the lowest material productivity in the world. WasteMINZ CEO Nic Quilty says Kiwis don't treat waste as a resource - and it's a problem. "When you buy something, think about how long you're going to use it for, is it good quality and is it going to end up in a landfill? We don't want these things ending up in landfill, we want them to continually remain in our economy for as long as possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topic: Malcolm and Carol welcome Matt Casteel, founder of wurmworks, LLC, to the show to talk about composting and the importance of worms in the process. Neil Strickland, Carol's composting partner, also joins the show to talk about Permaculture and living off the land in Mississippi.Guest(s): Matt Casteel and Neil StricklandHost(s): Malcolm White and Carol PalmerEmail: food@mpbonline.org **Recipe**Refrigerated Spicy Dill Pickles2 lbs. pickling cucumbers2 tsp pickling spice2 garlic cloves, crushed1 jalapeno pepper, mincedBrine:2 cups white vinegar (5%)1 cup water2 Tbsp sugar1 Tbsp pickling saltWash and trim vegetables; leave whole, halve, quarter, slice, or chip. Prepare brine to boil in a small stainless-steel saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Tightly pack vegetables into 1 hot (1-qt/1-L) or 2 hot (1-pt/500-mL) jars. Pour hot brine over vegetables to cover. Cover jar with lid; let stand 1 hour or until cooled to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 month for best flavor or up to 3 months. (The longer pickles stand in refrigerator, the more flavorful they will become.)Source: The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 9, 2025 ~ Micheline Maynard joins Marie Osborne to tell us about the app, “Too Good To Go,” which helps with food waste.
Anti-food-waste campaigners have asked the Auditor-General to look into wastage in the school lunch programme as part of his inquiry into the scheme. New Zealand Food Waste Champions executive director Kaitlin Dawson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
As Ireland celebrates its fourth National Food Waste Recycling Week, new research highlights both the remarkable progress made in brown bin usage and the ongoing challenge of contamination. With over 200,000 new brown bins rolled out nationwide since the start of 2024, bringing the total number of brown bin owners across Ireland to approximately 1.2 million, householders in Ireland are embracing food waste recycling like never before. However, a recent study of over 1,000 adults reveals that despite widespread brown bin usage, contamination remains a concern, potentially compromising the quality of compost and hindering our efforts towards a circular economy. The research, conducted by Empathy Research on behalf of MyWaste, Ireland's official guide to managing your waste, found that while the vast majority of people use their brown bin (84%), confusion and occasional haste can at times lead to incorrect items being disposed of in the brown bin. The study indicated that 33% admit to knowingly putting incorrect items in their brown bin, a figure that rises to 50% amongst 18-34-year-olds. The research also highlights confusion about garden waste, with younger adults (18-34) mistakenly believing stones and barbeque coals can be composted. Other common items incorrectly placed in brown bins include general waste (32%), the plastic around vegetables (26%), soft plastics (24%), and food cartons (24%). This National Food Waste Recycling Week (June 1st - June 8th, 2025), MyWaste.ie is launching a new campaign to tackle this problem, focusing on both confusion and haste as key contributing factors. "I'm delighted to see the continued growth in brown bin usage across the country," said Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD. "The expansion of the programme, coupled with the dedication of Irish citizens, is a testament to our commitment to a circular economy and a greener future. By working together to reduce food waste in the first instance and minimise contamination thereafter, we can ensure that our food and garden waste is transformed into valuable compost, enriching our soil, supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing our carbon footprint." The research also explored the reasons behind these mistakes. The primary reason cited for knowingly putting an item in their brown bin incorrectly was being in a hurry (38%), with lack of knowledge about what is accepted in the brown bin being the second most common reason (26%). "It's fantastic to see so many households embracing the brown bin system," said Pauline McDonogh, Resource Efficiency Officer at MyWaste. "However, contamination remains a challenge. This National Food Waste Recycling Week we want to empower everyone to become brown bin champions in their homes, at work or at play. We understand that sometimes it can be confusing, which is why we're providing clear and accessible information to help everyone use their brown bin correctly. Putting the wrong items in the brown bin can compromise the recycling process and reduce the level of compost produced. Let's all remember: 'No Metal, No Glass, No Plastic Makes Our Brown Bin Fantastic!' By keeping contaminants out of our brown bins, we can protect our soil and contribute to a circular economy." What can go into the brown bin? The brown bin service accepts all types of food including raw and cooked meat and fish, plate scrapings, along with fruit and vegetable peelings. Other items that can go into the brown bin include food-soiled paper napkins, paper towels, greasy pizza boxes as well as grass clippings and light garden waste, including hedge clippings, spent compost and dead plants. What cannot go into the brown bin? To avoid contamination, remember to remove all packaging from food waste and avoid adding large branches, stones, rubble, plastic plant pots, barbeque coals or other non-compostable materials from your brown bin. ...
Misfits Market, the online platform that delivers imperfect groceries to help minimize waste, announced the acquisition of household restocking service The Rounds on Friday. As a result of the deal, Misfits Market plans to take on over 250 items from The Rounds' inventory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Send me a messageIn this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I'm joined by Gary Loh, CEO of DiMuto, who brings a refreshing perspective on fixing the fractured agri-food trade. Gary's insights shine a light on the 30% of food wasted globally and how digital tools like AI, IoT, and blockchain can help us reduce that figure.We discuss why traditional silos, where growers, packers, shippers, and retailers rarely share data, need to be broken down. Gary explains how DiMuto's approach aligns economic incentives for everyone in the supply chain, driving transparency and reducing food waste. He also delves into how real-time data is empowering smallholder farmers, opening up access to trade financing and reducing costly claims.We also touch on the impact of US tariffs, shifting climate conditions, and FSMA 204 compliance, and why digital transformation is no longer optional. Gary's journey from finance to agriculture shows that real change comes when you address the incentives and give farmers and buyers the tools to see the full picture.If you're serious about building a transparent, resilient supply chain, or just curious how aligning incentives, AI and data can cut waste in our global food system, this episode is worth a listen.Elevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain' podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.
Ep 212 | DISCOs
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!Our hosts are joined by Lucy Wishart, lecturer in Circular Economy and Sustainable Transformations at the University of Edinburgh. In this episode they explore how rental models fit into academic, practical, and social aspects of circularity.From the idea of “consumption work” (and how rental reduces it) to what makes circular systems messy by nature, this conversation is packed with insight.Lucy explains how rental plays a key role in circular economy frameworks like the Nine R's and Product-Service Systems, offering an alternative to ownership-based consumption.The discussion explores both the potential and pitfalls of rental - from shifting consumption habits to labor and logistical challenges. "There's a distinction between circularity and the circular economy. Circularity can be quite small scale and local… but the circular economy requires more than one product, more than one organisation — it's collective. It requires us to work together."This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
Trigger warning: This episode includes honest discussions about suicide attempts, mental illness, domestic violence, and trauma. Adam Smith's story is unlike anything you've heard - and exactly what so many men need to hear. Sectioned at 11. In prison by 21. Found unresponsive in a car after trying to end his life. This could've been the end - but it wasn't. Instead, Adam's journey is one of remarkable survival and a relentless mission to make his pain count for something. In this episode, Adam speaks with raw honesty about growing up in care, wrestling with addiction, and living with autism and mental illness. But also about rising - becoming a chef, starting The Real Junk Food Project, and then Surplus2Purpose, and feeding millions with food others deemed worthless. He doesn't sugar-coat any of it. There are no easy answers. Just grit, compassion, and a deep belief that lives - like food - should never be wasted. You might not have lived Adam's life. But if you've ever felt lost, numb, ashamed, or like you don't know where you fit in the world, there's something here for you. This episode is about survival - but also about honesty, connection, and how we begin to move forward, even if we're still broken. This is not just Adam's story. It's a mirror for anyone who's ever struggled and needed a way through. [If you can relate to Adam's experience and need immediate help, you can call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US or Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia. Otherwise, as always, we also recommend that you speak to a GP or mental health professional.
We'll hear from Misfits Market, an organization working to break the cycle of food waste. And we'll find out what local food banks are doing with surplus food from farms and grocery stores.
We'll hear from Misfits Market, an organization working to break the cycle of food waste. And we'll find out what local food banks are doing with surplus food from farms and grocery stores.
Meet Sam, a chemist-turned-entrepreneur transforming food waste and plastics into powerful, eco-friendly fertilizer using earthworms. In this episode, he shares how a personal loss sparked a mission to fight Red Tide and restore soil health—leading to the creation of an award-winning startup making real change for farmers and the environment.Connect with Diane at https://zenchange.com/ or on LinkedIn If you found this helpful, please share it with your friends. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more informative content on marketing and leadership.
Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Amar Lalia to discuss the upcoming EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0 report on the planetary health diet. We'll explore key topics including food systems, justice, and environmental impacts, all set to be unveiled in Fall 2025.Dr. Laila is a postdoctoral fellow at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Sweden, and the University of Guelph, Canada. Amar completed his PhD at the University of Guelph, where he explored the connection between food literacy and food waste among Canadian families with young children, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Amar is passionate about food systems justice and his goal is to contribute to just and sustainable food system transformation through improvements in food environments so that they are healthy and sustainable for everyone.Resources:EAT-Lancet CommissionA comment paper in the Lancet referring to the EL2 commission's focus on justiceHigh Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition reportsFAO's State of food security and nutritionFood System Economics Commission (to provide exact numbers referred to in the episode discussion):The Food System Economics Commission estimates the hidden costs of global food systems at approximately $15 trillion USD per year. However, the net benefits of transforming the food system are valued between $5 to $10 trillion USD annually, which is equivalent to 4-8% of global GDP (2020).In contrast, the cost of transforming the global food system is only 0.2-0.4% of global GDP, making it clearly affordable compared to the substantial global benefits—roughly $20-40 trillion USD.For full details, check out the Executive Summary.Dr. Amar Laila's Socials:ResearchGateORCIDLinkedInPlant-Based Canada's Socials:Instagram (@plantbasedcanadaorg)FacebookWebsite (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)X / Twitter @PBC_orgBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you'll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.Support the show
The USDA estimates that between 30-40% of the US food supply is wasted every year – that's over 133 BILLION pounds. One farmer, turned soldier, turned entrepreneur is tackling that market. Ben Moore, founder of The Ugly Company, joins us to talk to fruit. We get into: Ben's connection to Indiana and how a farmer went on to create a trucking company that became The Ugly Company as it is today How damaged fruit with scars or other cosmetic issues because big business for Ben – The Ugly Company can now be found on store shelves of Target, Sam's Club, Walmart and Whole Foods The Ugly Company's goal to prevent food waste, where they are at in that target and how they hope to accelerate that goal in the future How the fruit becomes the product on shelves – The Ugly Process, if you will Ben's advice for aspiring farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs and lessons he's learned from leading his business and his time serving in the US Army What service looks like to him versus what it maybe looked like as a 22-year-old soldier What's ahead for The Ugly Company – including further distribution and availability in schools
The USDA estimates that between 30-40% of the US food supply is wasted every year – that's over 133 BILLION pounds. One farmer, turned soldier, turned entrepreneur is tackling that market. Ben Moore, founder of The Ugly Company, joins us to talk to fruit. We get into: Ben's connection to Indiana and how a farmer went on to create a trucking company that became The Ugly Company as it is today How damaged fruit with scars or other cosmetic issues because big business for Ben – The Ugly Company can now be found on store shelves of Target, Sam's Club, Walmart and Whole Foods The Ugly Company's goal to prevent food waste, where they are at in that target and how they hope to accelerate that goal in the future How the fruit becomes the product on shelves – The Ugly Process, if you will Ben's advice for aspiring farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs and lessons he's learned from leading his business and his time serving in the US Army What service looks like to him versus what it maybe looked like as a 22-year-old soldier What's ahead for The Ugly Company – including further distribution and availability in schools
Listen in on Cultivation Station while we talk with Lindsey Beatrice with Nude Foods. Did you know the average American produces 1,704 pounds of trash each year. That's enough to fill 23 million garbage trucks, which is 50 garbage trucks per minute. Lindsey will share what her and others are doing to combat this, and how we can all get involved. Notes: Nude Foods Market Nude Foods is the easiest way to shop zero-waste for local and organic groceries. Visit our locations in Boulder (3233 Walnut St.) or Denver (3538 W 44th Ave), or order online for delivery in select areas. All you have to do is shop like normal, drop off your empty jars when you're done, and shop again. Nude Foods will wash, sanitize, and refill every jar with products we buy in bulk. We've already avoided over 1,000,000+ pieces of single use plastic from ever being created. nudefoodsmarket.com @nudefoodsmarket on all social media platforms Apply to be a vendor by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedmhoSzuUVkei_hLpBYupNI7Vu60DJgDIq-s8wXDrGZGYAnw/viewform Flatirons Farmers Coalition FFC creates a thriving and inclusive local agricultural community rooted in regenerative agriculture, food security, and land stewardship. To do this, we connect and empower Boulder County growers and community members through peer-to-peer learning, community building, and advocacy. Our coalition is made up of farmers and ranchers of all ages and experience levels, as well as local food advocates. We welcome anyone committed to tending the land and cultivating community. flatironsfarmers.org @flatironsfarmers on Instagram More about the Boulder Valley Farming Families Fund: https://www.flatironsfarmers.org/family-support
Do you pay attention to information printed on food labels? From eye-catching designs companies use to entice you to buy a product to nutrition facts panels to the tiny dates printed on packages. There's a lot going on to be sure. For policymakers, they hope that refining date labels on food packaging will help reduce the amount of uneaten food ending up in landfills. Food Waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Inspection Service recently asked for public input on food date labels. So, we decided to gather some experts together to talk about this important policy tool. Roni Neff is a professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Senior Advisor at the School's Center for a Livable Future. Her research looks at the intersection of food waste policy, climate change, and food system resilience. Brian Roe is a professor at the Ohio State University Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics. His work focuses on issues including agricultural marketing, information policy, behavioral economics, and product quality. Ruiqing Miao is an associate professor of agricultural economics and rural sociology at Auburn University's College of Agriculture. His research emphasizes sustainability, innovation, and decision making. Interview Summary Brian, let's begin with you and let's make sure everyone's on the same page. Can you talk to us a little bit about what date labels are and where they are on packaging. And what is industry required to include in terms of these date labels? Yes, so date labels, we see them anytime we pick up a food package. Most packages are going to have some type of date label on them. Oddly, federal law doesn't regulate these or really require these other than the exception of infant formula, which is the only federal requirement domain out there. But in the absence of federal regulation, states have kind of done their own thing. About 40 different states require date labels on at least some food products. And about 20 states prohibit or restrict the sale or donation of food past the label date. And even though states that require date labels, manufacturers can still choose the dates. There are no real regulations on them. So, recognizing that confusion over date labels can lead to unnecessary food waste, Government and industry actors have made, you know, some efforts to try to standardize date labeling language. But nothing terribly authoritative. Now, some states have introduced bills that seek to standardize date labels, with the motivation to try to get rid of and reduce food waste. California being perhaps the most recent of these. In 2024, they passed a bill that prohibits the use of any date label other than 'Best if Used By,' the phrase that goes along with foods where the date represents kind of a quality indicator. And then the phrase 'Use By,", if that date has some implications for product safety. The bill doesn't go into effect until July of '26, so we're going to see if this is going to create a domino effect across other states, across the food manufacturing center or even bubble up and be dealt with at the federal legislation level. Now, industries tried to do things before. Back in 2017, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocers Manufacturers Association had a standardized date labeling suggestion that some firms bought into. FDA has given out some guidance about preferring 'Best if Used By' on certain food products to indicate quality. But again, we're all kind of waiting to see if there might be a federal legislation that kind of brings these state labels into check. Thanks, Brian. And it's really important to know about the policy landscape and the fact that there hasn't been a federal policy across all foods. And it's interesting to see the efforts of, say, in California. I think this begs the question; how do consumers actually process the information of date labels? This fascinated us too. A very clever person at Ohio State that I work with, Dr. Aishwarya Badiger, led a study I was part of. We enlisted consumers to come into the Consumer Evaluation Lab that we have here on campus and evaluate samples of milk. They were presented with the label of each milk. We gave them a little glass with a nose full of the milk that they could sniff. So, they're looking at the date label, they're given the sample they could smell, and then we kind of asked them, Hey, if this were in your fridge, would you keep it or toss it? But the entire time we actually had them fitted with special glasses that precisely track their eye movements so we could understand kind of which information they were looking at while they went through the whole process of evaluating and then making their decision. Consumers overwhelmingly looked at the date itself on the package and largely ignored the phrase or the words that go along with the date. In fact, for more than half of the evaluations, the consumer's eyes never went anywhere near the phrase. This is important. And actually, we'll talk about that a little bit more with some of our other guests. So, what are the implications of date label policies? So the eye tracking research really drove home to me that dates are much more salient than phrases. Although all the policies largely deal with the phrases. Dates give you actionable information. People can look at the date on the label, look at the calendar, and man, that's something they can do something about. They can act based upon that. The phrases are a little bit more ambiguous as Roni will talk about later. I think that people have a hard time interpreting what those phrases really mean. That doesn't mean we should not try to unify those phrases, but rather this is going to be a longer-term investment in educational infrastructure that until those phrases really become salient and actionable to consumers. And then become more of a critical component of the policies. But right now, policies are generally silent on dates. And dates seem to be the real action mover. Yeah. So why don't we just get rid of all of this? What would be the implications? Yes. We did this experiment too. Same kind of setup. Had people come in, they had the jug of the milk in front of them. They had a glass of milk that they could sniff. Same thing. And we had a bunch of different milks. We had some that were only like 15 days post pasteurization. Some that went out to like 40 days past pasteurization. So, the youngest or the freshest had about three days, quote unquote, left on its date label. The 40-day old milk was like two or three weeks past the date. And we did two things. We had them evaluate the milk with the dates on the jugs, and then we had ones where we took the dates and the labels off the milk. Not surprisingly, when they did not have the dates on the milk, they were much more likely to say that they would keep the milk. Even that 40-day old milk, about half of them said, yeah, I'd drink this. I'd keep this if it were in my fridge. But it wasn't a slam dunk. So, our youngest and freshest milk had an odd flavor note. You know, sometimes as the seasons change, feed sources change for cattle, you get an odd flavor note. It's not spoilage, it's just a slightly different note. And when people have the date label, they were much more willing to give that milk a second chance and say that they would keep it. But if the date label wasn't on there, they took that odd flavor note and said, I'm going to toss this milk. So, it's really kind of a nuanced thing. And if you would take those off, I think you're going to get some consumers who are going to kind of freak out without any guidance. And they might have kind of an itchy trigger finger when it comes to throwing away that milk or other products. So, it's compelling. We've seen England, the UK, do this; take dates off of certain products. But I would probably want to see a little more example of how consumers are responding to that before I fully endorse that as kind of a policy movement forward. Brian, thank you for that. And I have got to say, I was not expecting to have a conversation about the bouquet of a glass of milk. But this is really an interesting finding, and it does help us understand some other things that we're going to talk about. Roni, I want to turn our attention to you. And I know you are someone who's been involved in understanding date labels for a while. And I really appreciate it and I've said it before, but you're the reason I got into this work. I want to understand a little bit more about what are important things to understand about the misconceptions that consumers may have about food date labels? And why does it matter for policymakers? Well, I'll start with just saying that conceptions are what we know rationally. And it's not the whole picture because as Brian was alluding to a lot of our decision making is going on in our emotions. And like I can tell my son all day long the fact that that milk is okay, he's going to toss it because he doesn't trust it. There's a lot more going on than conceptions. But I want to talk about two misconceptions. The first one is that despite what Brian just said about the fact that these date labels other than infant formula aren't federally regulated, about two in five people think that they are. We just did a national consumer survey in January 2025, and this is one of the findings. And I did that along with Emily Broad Lieb from the Harvard Food Law and Policy Project and Akif Khan also from there, and then Dana Gunders from ReFED. And in addition to this idea that they're federally regulated, I'll say that these kinds of beliefs were most common among those who were 18 to 34, parents with children under age 18, and black and Hispanic consumers. Our earlier work also found that those who think that food date labels are federally regulated are more likely to discard food based on them. All this speaks to a real challenge. And, you know, it kind of makes sense, like if you see something and you trust it, that it's from the federal government. And of course, we all trust the federal government these days. If you trust it, then you're going to respond to it. So that's an implication for food policy. And then the next thing we did also is that we tested understanding of five different food date label phrases: a date with no text, and then two of those phrases accompanied by icon images. And since none of these actually have a federally recognized meaning the correct answer for all of them in terms of the meaning is like other. But we also accepted answers that were aligned with that voluntary industry standard, just to kind of see how people were perceiving it. And, across all of these labels, only an average of 53% of people answered correctly about what these labels meant. Now, consumers were pretty good at identifying 'Best if Used By' as a quality label. But the real challenge comes in with 'Use By' which under the voluntary industry standards should be a safety label. And more people thought it was a quality label than thought it was a safety label; 44% versus 49%. And so, we need to clear up these misconceptions in support of food safety, in support of food waste prevention. But in order to do that, we need to be able to tell people clearly what the labels mean. And we can't really do that if there's no standardized meaning of what they mean. So, we really need a national standard, and that is the policy implication. Thank you for that. And I know Ruiqing and I have done some work in this space and in part learning from what you all have done. I'm interested because you mentioned the 2025 survey, but of course you also mentioned the 2016 survey. Are there any big shifts or anything that you want to tell us about changes that you see from those two different surveys? We asked a number of the same or almost identical questions in those two surveys. And since that time, we've adopted a voluntary industry standard and there's been a lot of education and communication about wasted food. And yet in our survey we actually found that things were going in the wrong direction. Consumer misunderstandings of date labels increased. Those who quote always or usually discard food based on the label: in 2016, that was 37%, and this year it was 43%. And then in terms of belief that these are federally regulated: in 2016 it was 36% and now it's 44%. We're going in the wrong direction despite all these activities, and I don't know why. I think for those who are looking for future research questions, this would be a really interesting one. This is really disturbing because all of the information that's come out about date labels. I thought people would understand this. And that this is where we would be in a different place. So, this work is really important. So, how did people's response to date labels vary by food item? Did you see any differences? Because this is something that comes up often that people may be more responsive to some food products versus others? Yeah, indeed. We asked about five different foods, and we showed a bunch of different labels for each food. And the responses did vary both based on the item and based on what label was on it. And I'll start with where caution is needed. Deli meats are one example of where we really want people to pay attention to that label. And while there's no federal standard that label's the best piece of information people has, so they should use it. And we found that only 65% would throw out the deli meat before, on, or just after the 'Use By' label. And the number of people that would respond to it reduced with other labels that were used, and older adults were most likely to disregard those labels. And they may be particularly vulnerable in terms of foodborne illness. So that's when lack of caution leads to risk. On the other hand, when caution leads to waste, we looked at raw chicken, pasteurized milk, lettuce, and breakfast cereal. And for all of those there, like the label is really only telling you about quality, and consumers should use their senses to decide, and knowledge of how that was, stored to decide whether to eat it. And so, the most common out of all five foods, including the deli, the one that they responded the strongest to was raw chicken. And that chicken can be contaminated as we know, but if you cook it, you're killing those bacteria, so it's okay. And averaging across all those different date labels, we found 54% would discard these four foods based on the date. And the piece that was most striking to me was that for breakfast cereal, 43% said they were discarded based on the date. So, we've got some education to do. Yeah. In the earlier paper I did with colleagues at Cornell, we used breakfast cereal and we were surprised to see how much people willing to throw away breakfast cereal if it were passed to date. There is confirmation and we see this happen in many other products. And we'll definitely talk about some of those product differences with Ruiqing. The last question I'd like to ask you is you found that many consumers thought they knew the meanings of the various food date labels, but they were incorrect. And in some of the work that you've done in the past, you found that many people answered incorrectly even after viewing information about the labels. So even when you educated folks or gave people information, they still made incorrect choices. Why do you think this is, and what should we do about it? And some people's responses do improve when you show them the information, but it was striking in that study that seconds after having read the definition, according to the voluntary industry standard, people were giving the wrong answer. Even though they had previously said that they thought they understood it. So, to me, this suggests that they already think they know the answer and so they're not tuning in. And this speaks to a real challenge that we're going to have when we do standardize these date labels. How are we going to reach people and capture their attention. Like, if we just change the policy, that does nothing. We've got to reach people and we've got to do it in a sophisticated and well-planned way. And I think the education should also emphasize that misunderstandings are common because that might be something that would help wake people up. But beyond that, we've got to capture their attention. So, you know, dancing clowns, whatever it is that wakes people up. I have a fear of clowns, so I'm not sure if I want that as a policy recommendation. However... For the deli meats we want you to be afraid, so it's okay. Yes, I agree. I agree. One of the things that this conversation has helped us see is that there's some real concerns around whether or not people are paying attention to the label. Or there may be paying more attention to the dates. And even when people are taught or encouraged to think about the dates, there seems to be a mismatch. And Ruiqing, I want to now turn to you because one of the things in the study that we were a part of, there's some questions about differences among people. So, in the paper that we recently published on the relationship between date labels and anticipated food waste, and people's individual orientation to risk and loss, can you tell us a little bit about what some of the key findings of that paper are? Right. So, the paper is published recently in Applied Economics Perspective Policy. It's one of the official journals of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA). Norbert is the leading author. So, this paper built on the framework of prospect theory and is based on the data from a series of experiments we conducted in Alabama and also the state of New York. We find that consumers do adjust their anticipated food waste by date labels and by how much they tolerate risk and losses. In the experiment, we particularly measured their tolerance to risk and losses. We found that the 'Use By' date labels tend to lead to more anticipated food waste than 'Best Buy'. Maybe this echo what Roni has said. So, people may tend to link 'Use By' with quality and food safety. We also found that the consumers with low tolerance to losses and are associated with higher anticipated foot waste regardless of date labels and the products. So, we can see a heterogeneity of the responses of different consumers to date labels and food items based on their tolerance to losses and risks. Thank you for that. And I think this is a really important aspect of looking at this set of studies because we see that people are different. They respond differently. And they have different ideas about how they handle losses. This idea that it can be worse to lose a hundred dollars versus to gain a hundred dollars. Or the way we understand how we'll negatively respond versus how positively we respond. Using this economic framework of prospect theory, something that is drawn from actually the psychology literature to better understand how people react to food labels while shopping. What are some key features of this approach to explaining people's behaviors and why do you think it's a good choice? Why do you think it's important to do this? One of the key features of prospect theory is it divides the possible outcomes of a risky event into two domains. One is a gain domain and one is a loss domain. So, in terms of the food consumption, probably the most likely status quo is do not eat the food items. So, the gain domain might be gaining nutrition from the food item. The loss domain might be the loss of health if the food item is bad. So, I think this framework fits particularly well to describe the consumer's trade off in their mind when they face a food item with a date label that is maybe one day or two days past the expiration date. So, one possibility is you consume this food. If it is good, you get nutrition and if it is bad, you potentially get lost health or lose one day of work or so on. So, I think this model can capture the trade off or the decision-making procedure in a consumer's mind pretty well. And experiments data support the theoretical prediction that loss aversion may affect people's food waste decisions. Thank you for that. And I think what's one of the sort of take home messages that I've learned out of this process is this heterogeneity, the fact that people are different and may respond differently to these date labels, really does put the onus upon policymakers to think critically what date labels, if we were to use them, or if we think they have an effect, which are the right ones. And so I actually want to open up the question to all of you. In your view, what next steps make sense for date labels to help address the food waste challenges that we see in this country? Let's start with you, Brian. Ooh, yeah. So, to me a compelling issue that needs to be addressed is how do we get 'Use By' to really translate to be people to be about safety? Is it a different color? I know we don't want to mess with the phrases, but do we just call this safety date and put it in red or put a clown by it if that scares you. Something along those lines to make that stand out. And then on the relevance side, I think it might be out of policy, but perhaps, industry collaboration to really push printed dates to the end of that quality horizon. So that everybody has confidence that they're not going to get undercut by somebody else having an earlier date printed for cereals or for canned goods or something like that. To have a kind of a truce among commercial interests to say, okay, typically canned beans, has this type of 180 days or 360 days. Let's push it to the end of that acceptable horizon so that we don't have unwarranted waste happening as often. Those are two ideas that I've kind of chewed on a lot and think could be positive steps forward. But I'm fascinated to hear what others think. Thank you, Brian and I really don't like the idea of putting clowns anywhere near this. I want to go to you, Roni. All right, well first, I'll a thousand percent echo everything that Brian just said. And I'll note also in terms of the 'Use By' date, the label that was most commonly associated with food safety was 'Expires On' by consumers. But that isn't part of what has been under [policy] discussion. But anyway, in addition to echoing that, I'll just say we do need a standardized policy and it has to be accompanied by a well-designed education campaign. And this policy change, it's just a no-brainer. It's not controversial. It's fairly minimal cost. And given the high food prices and the struggles that consumers are having right now, they need every tool that they can to save money and food, and this is one of them. Great. Thank you, Roni. I'll give the last word to you, Ruiqing. Yeah. I will echo what Brian and Roni said. So, a well-designed policy and public education campaign. Particularly for the education campaign. I think regardless of if there is a policy change or not, I think it is time to do a public education campaign. Norbert, we have done the research on food waste for almost nine years, right? So, I learned a little bit about the date label's meaning. But still, I cannot change my wife's opinion. When she sees sell by yesterday for the milk, she would suggest we throw it away. But I said this is not for us, this is for sellers. But she wouldn't believe so because I cannot persuade her. But maybe an education campaign from more authoritative institutional federal government can change people's mind as a researcher or like even husband cannot change. Roni - And can I just add to that, just please. I think that the economics and psychology expertise that all of you have can really contribute to that. Because I think that's a really important point that you're making. And it's not just factual, it's emotional too. And so how do we, you know, get in there and change what people do beyond their knowledge? Bios Roni Neff is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health & Engineering and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, an academic center focused on food systems and public health. Her research focuses on wasted food through the lens of equity and public health. She is a co-Director of the RECIPES national food waste research network, and she recently served on the National Academies of Science and Medicine consensus panel on consumer food waste. Brian Roe is the Van Buren Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics at Ohio State University. Roe has worked broadly in the areas of agricultural and environmental economics focusing on issues including agricultural marketing, information policy, behavioral economics and product quality. He was recently named as a fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and has previously served as an editor for the Association's flagship journal, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. He currently leads the Ohio State Food Waste Collaborative, a collection of researchers, practitioners, and students working together to promote the reduction and redirection of food waste as an integral part of a healthy and sustainable food system, and co-leads the RECIPES Network, a National Science Foundation Sustainable Regional System's Research Network focused on increasing food system sustainability, resilience and equity by addressing the issue of food waste. In addition to research on food waste, his other recent research includes a USDA funded project focused on local foods and school lunch programs and participation in an NSF-funded multidisciplinary team seeking to understand human-ecosystem feedbacks in the Western Lake Erie basin, including understanding how farms and agribusinesses respond to voluntary environmental programs and how Ohio residents respond to different options to manage Lake Erie water quality. Ruiqing Miao is an agricultural economist at Auburn University. Miao is interested in sustainability, innovation, and decision-making. His research focuses on the interaction between agricultural production and its environment, aiming to understand and quantify 1) agriculture's impact on land use, water use, water quality, and biodiversity, and 2) how agricultural production is affected by farmers' behaviors, public policies, agricultural innovation, technology adoption, and climate change.
It's Thursday and that means it's time to catch up on politics with The Times-Picayune/The Advocate's editorial director and columnist, Stephanie Grace. Today she tells us about the political turmoil unfolding since the Orleans Parish jailbreak, including Sheriff Hutson halting her re-election campaign.If you've ever looked at the vast spreads of prepared food at groceries, bakeries, café's, and restaurants, and wondered where it all goes at the end of the day, the answer is usually – the garbage can.But an app that just launched in Baton Rouge and New Orleans is trying to help that food find a home and reduce the environmental impact of food waste. Allie Denburg, associate director of Strategy and Operations for the “Too Good To Go,” app gives us the details.The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project is the largest in Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan. The $3 billion project would divert freshwater carrying sediment from the Mississippi River into Barataria Bay to build more land and stave off Louisiana's land loss crisis.But under Gov. Jeff Landry, the project has faced significant delays, and now it's possible it might not move forward at all.The Coastal Desk's Eva Tesfaye spoke with Delaney Dryfoos, environmental reporter at The Lens, who has been following this closely t.___Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Bob Pavlovich. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We get production support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!In this episode, our hosts Tandi Tuakli and Barry O'Kane had a fascinating conversation with Leah Pollen, a specialist in profitability and circular strategies within the used electronics market, particularly mobile devices. Leah shares deep insights into how the mobile phone industry's leasing and trade-in programs—especially driven by OEMs like Apple and Samsung—created what she calls “accidental circularity.” Leah also explains the business case for phone rental models, including calculations around device depreciation, residual value, repair logistics, and customer return behaviors.One of the biggest barriers Leah identifies is mindset. Many organisations are still entrenched in linear thinking—focusing on sales volume, product obsolescence, and short-term wins. She stresses the importance of redefining what product success looks like in a circular model.Our hosts and Leah draw parallels between mobile phones and other sectors like fashion, luxury goods, and homeware—discussing where circular lessons could be applied and where challenges persist due to differing value chains and consumer behaviors.This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
Most food waste solutions focus on consumers. Freshr took a different path—embedding antimicrobial technology directly into packaging film to extend salmon shelf life by days without touching the food. In this episode, CEO Mina Mekhail shares how they pivoted from produce to proteins, turned customer objections into product breakthroughs, and built a biotech startup that's scaling faster than you'd expect—all from inside a Montreal condo lab.
Felix Collins, founder of Full Circle Biotech, speaks with Jeremy Au about how biology, not machines, is transforming the future of food. Felix shares how his company turns agricultural waste into affordable, high-quality protein using insects, fungi, and bacteria. They unpack why SEA farmers care more about savings than slogans, how superstition meets pragmatism on shrimp farms, and how skipping big feed mills unlocked faster scale. Felix also opens up about building alone in a basement with buckets of waste, and why cost, not carbon credits, is the real key to decarbonizing food systems. It's a candid look at resilience, innovation, and why Southeast Asia may lead the next global food revolution. 02:22 Insect Farming as a Protein Solution: Early efforts to teach contract farmers in Kenya failed; he shifted to centralized operations to reduce complexity and improve scale. 05:11 Farmers Adopt Cost-Saving Tools, Not New Habits: Felix found that Southeast Asian farmers don't chase productivity—they adopt tools that reduce cost and keep daily routines intact. 13:20 Scaling Without Feed Mill Support: With no guaranteed offtake from large feed companies, Full Circle started producing and selling its own pellets to collect farmer data and grow sales. 24:35 Southeast Asia is Agritech's Edge: Fragmented supply chains and extreme price sensitivity make the region ideal for fast adoption of low-carbon, affordable feed solutions. 29:00 Carbon Credits Are Unreliable: Felix explains that while carbon credits are theoretically valuable, their volatility and complexity make them less effective than carbon taxes or direct market incentives for driving real change in food systems. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/felix-collins-feed-from-waste Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
Welcome back to HappyPorch Radio: the circular economy technology podcast!In this special episode our host Barry O'Kane is joined by Charlotte Morley, CEO of thelittleloop, and Ryan Atkins, CEO of Supercycle, to discuss the ripple effects of - ongoing and very fluid - changes to US tariffs and De Minimis import rules on the circular economy in the UK, EU, and US. The conversation, which originated from a passionate exchange on LinkedIn, explores both the opportunities and challenges these potential policy changes present for circularity-focused businesses. The discussion ranges widely from there, covering everything from policy to the importance of smaller, ethical brands to circularity.We discussed how reduced ease of importing low-cost new goods could boost demand for resale and second-hand markets, potentially benefiting the circular economy. While acknowledging the long-term benefits, our guests explained that many small ethical and sustainable brands are already overwhelmed by rising costs, market saturation from fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu, and how, potentially, additional pressure from tariffs could undermine the "feedstock" of quality products essential for a thriving circular economy.Both guests stress the importance of empathy and support for brands navigating these tough times. They discuss how circularity enablers like their own companies must make circular business models (like takeback and resale programs) as frictionless and financially viable as possible. They also touch on the slow progress of legislation and the need for government mandates and funding to truly shift the industry toward reuse, not just recycling.The conversation concludes with a call to action for both policy involvement and practical support to ensure circularity is not just a long-term goal, but a near-term strategic advantage for businesses.Tune in to learn about how there is, despite current difficulties, a sense of cautious optimism: more brands are beginning to prioritise circularity, although slowly.This podcast is brought to you by HappyPorch. We specialise in technology and software development for Circular Economy minded purpose-driven businesses. Our podcast focuses mostly on: Circular Economy, Digital Enablers, Technology, Software, Circular Solutions, Fashion & Textiles, Circular Strategies, Digital, Reuse, Circular Design, Circularity, Systems Thinking, Economics, Data, Platforms, Degrowth, Policy & Regulation, Collaboration, Materials, Supply Chain, Biological Cycles, Materials, Food Waste, Biomimicry, Construction, Modular Design, Culture & Language, Zero Waste, Digital Passports, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Reverse Logistics, Materials, Sharing Economy, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Environmental Impact and much more!
Joining John Maytham is Alan Browde, the CEO and Founder of SA Harvest, a leading non-profit that rescues nutritious food and delivers it to those who need it most. Alan has been vocal in his call for a Food Donations Bill and stronger legislation to redirect perfectly good food away from landfills and into hungry homes. We speak to him about the path forward. Follow us on:CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkzaCapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two other episodes I think you'd like:What To Do & When - Wedding Planning Step-by-Step21 Wedding BUDGET SAVING Tips Template for IG Stories https://www.etsy.com/shop/pureblissdesignsco Want to ask Jamie your wedding planning questions? Join her in The Master Plan!What did you think about this episode? What were your takeaways? I want to hear your feedback! Screenshot the episode and post your thoughts on Instagram and tag us @wolferandco. You can get your Perfect Wedding Timeline - HERE!Be sure to grab your Ultimate Wedding Day Checklist at https://www.wolferandco.com/engagechecklistYou are also invited to join the Facebook Wedding Community she has created for y'all to support each other. ❤️P.S. — These links may use affiliate platforms where commission may be earned based on clicks and/or purchases, and I would love it if you used them! It won't cost you anything extra, but affiliate links are RAD because they help creators like me to fund the free content we provide.
Upcycled Food: the Climate Solution Sitting in Your Trash with Emily Lafferty and Amanda OenbringWhat if the future of food isn't about creating more, but wasting less? In this episode of The Drip, we sit down with Amanda Oenbring, CEO of the Upcycled Food Association, and Emily Lafferty, Director of Supply Chain at Seven Sundays, a breakfast brand rewriting the rules of what ends up on your plate.Together, they're part of a movement turning food system “waste” into something far more valuable: a solution. We go deep on the science, the systems, and the surprising innovations behind upcycled ingredients. Think of it as ingredient alchemy: transforming by-products into breakfast, and inefficiencies into impact.In this episode, you'll hear about:What counts as “upcycled”? The big problem with food waste – and the greatest opportunities for innovationReal-world examples: from by-products to breakfast The challenges of processing upcycled foodsPractical ways to plug into the upcycled food revolutionJump to:(00:07) Upcycling 101: What it really means(00:54) Meet Emily Lafferty and Amanda Oenbring(03:42) What is upcycled food, exactly?(05:09) Food waste: The hidden giant(07:26) Upcycled ingredients in action(09:10) Tech hurdles and how to solve them(18:57) This episode's song recommendation.(19:34) This episode's mantra.Featured Artist and Song:Pyaar by TroyboiLinks mentioned in this episode:Amanda Oenbring on LinkedInEmily Lafferty on LinkedInUpcycled Food AssociationSeven SundaysThe Highwomen by Crowded Table, music was chosen by AmandaSunday Vibes by Masego, music was chosen by EmilyConnect with the showAQUALABZachary Cartwright, PhD
Send us a textWelcome back to The Sustainable Business Spotlight! In this episode, I'm joined by Kathleen Ventura, co-founder of Compost Crowd, a compost collection service transforming how residents and businesses in Northern Arizona manage their food waste.Kathleen shares how Compost Crowd started, the environmental importance of composting, and how small lifestyle changes can create massive collective impact. Whether you're a sustainability advocate or a curious beginner, this conversation will leave you inspired to take action.In this episode, you'll hear:01:18 – The unexpected inspiration behind starting Compost Crowd.03:04 – How the business expanded from farmers markets to city-wide collection.06:14 – Why throwing food scraps in the trash creates methane and how composting helps.09:02 – The vineyard partnership turning compost into a soil-regenerating solution.13:51 – What to do if you don't have a composting service in your area.19:04 – Kathleen's personal low-waste lifestyle and intentional living practices.This episode is full of actionable insights, real talk about sustainable living, and powerful reminders that individual actions do add up. Tune in and discover simple ways you can make a difference, starting today. If you enjoy this episode, don't forget to rate, share, and leave your thoughts—we'd love to hear from you!For Flagstaff or Sedona residents, use the code PODCAST at www.compostcrowd.com to get one free month of compost pick up!Links:Website: https://www.compostcrowd.comInstagram: @compostcrowdAmy's Links:• Website• Alpine Start Media's Instagram• LinkedIn• Jelt's Instagram
In our 150th Episode, Josh Rogers, Director of Nutrition Services in Greenfield Union School District in California, shares how a partnership with Waste Hunger Not Food has led to over 800,000 pounds of food being rescued since 2018.
Could rethinking your food storage change your health and the planet? In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Grieg, Co-Owner and Co-Operator of Ambrosia, and Grae Maisenbacher from the marketing team, to dive into how a simple family tradition turned into a powerful movement for sustainability, reducing food waste, and reimagining everyday choices. Jordan shares the story of how her mother, Jan, sparked the original idea behind Ambrosia— inspired by how her grandmother kept greens fresh long before plastic bags existed. We also explore how plastics came to dominate food storage, how different cultures approach food preservation, and why food waste is such a critical issue today. Tune in to learn: - The simple old-school trick for keeping produce fresh - How plastic is impacting our food systems, and solutions you can start today - Tips for making your kitchen more sustainable and efficient - Why Ambrosia's bags are different and how they support reforestation efforts. If you care about food, conscious living, or simply want to be part of a better solution, this conversation is for you. Find out where to get your own Ambrosia Bag. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering conversations!
In this episode, Camille Licate, founder of Kids for Positive Change, shares her exciting journey from a working commercial actor in Los Angeles California to founding Kids for Positive Change in Ohio. Camille has helped establish food share tables in Ashtabula Area City Schools, and actively promotes student leadership in running the food share tables.
This week, host Tom Zalatnai (@tomzalatnai) talks to special guest Chef Kory DiPucchio (@chefkorydipucchio) from Compass Group Canada about their International Stop Food Waste Day initiative, great uses for scraps and leftovers, and some key ways to invest in your stocks- soup stocks, I mean. The only financial advice given in this episode is related to groceries! International Stop Food Waste Day April 30th! https://www.stopfoodwasteday.com/en/index.html Compass Group Canada! https://www.compass-canada.com/ Three of Cups Tea! https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/3ofCupsTeas Subscribe to Teffer's Substack! https://substack.com/@tefferadjemian Support the show on Patreon! patreon.com/nobadfoodpod Contact us and keep up with everything we're doing over on Instagram @nobadfoodpod! Check out The Depot! www.depotmtl.org Want to be on the show? Tell us why! https://forms.gle/w2bfwcKSgDqJ2Dmy6 MERCH! podcavern.myspreadshop.ca Our logo is by David Flamm! Check out his work (and buy something from his shop!) at http://www.davidflammart.com/ Our theme music is "It Takes A Little Time" by Zack Ingles! You can (and should!) buy his music here: https://zackingles.bandcamp.com/ www.podcavern.com
Oregon lawmakers are considering HB 3018, which would require thousands of Oregon businesses – from hospitals to restaurants to food producers – to compost their food waste. Nationwide, an estimated 15% of methane gas pollution is created by food and other organic waste decomposing in landfills. The bill would also try to reduce the amount of food being tossed out in the first place by requiring foods sold in Oregon to be more clear about when a product is safe to eat. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality has estimated that 70% of the food thrown away could be safely eaten. We get two perspectives on the proposals: Charlie Fisher is the state director of Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and helped write the bill. Jason Brandt is the president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant And Lodging Association and has concerns about the bill.
Join host Natalie Grueninger in this episode of Talking Tudors, as she welcomes back Dr. Eleanor Barnett, a food historian from Cardiff University, to discuss her latest book, "Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation." Dive into the evolution of our food consumption habits from the Tudor era to today, and discover the creative ways our ancestors preserved food. Learn about the societal and religious influences on food preservation and waste in the past, and what lessons we can apply to combat modern food waste issues. If you're passionate about Tudor history or interested in sustainable living practices, this episode promises a captivating blend of historical and contemporary insights. Engage with us in this lively discussion and uncover the timeless allure of the Tudor dynasty. Visit Dr Barnett's website https://www.eleanorbarnett.com/ Follow Dr Barnett on Instagram @historyeats Find out more about your host at https://www.nataliegrueninger.com Join me for '365 Days with Katherine of Aragon'! https://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/2025/04/05/365-days-with-katherine-of-aragon-2/ Support Talking Tudors on Patreon