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Food Waste Challenge

Reducing food waste is one of the top solutions to fight climate change and shrink our collective environmental footprint

Our six-week challenge offered Toronto residents simple activities and strategies around avoidable food waste. We know that food waste is a big contributor to global warming, but there are so many other benefits to being more mindful of how we use food. Conscientious planning, shopping and consumption benefits our physical health and saves money as well. On a broader scale, it can improve access to food for others and promote more sustainable practices in the food supply chain.

By thinking about where our food comes from, and how our choices affect the resources available to others — now and in the future — we become more active stewards of a healthy and equitable planet.We are grateful for the participants and partnerships that helped build community around this important issue. We look forward to continuing conversations on the many intersecting solutions to systemic issues within the food sector.

Next Steps in the Community

Community leaders share their perspectives on where we go from here to tackle food waste and the systemic challenges around food. This is an important conversation at a time when 1 in 8 Canadians are food insecure in the midst of staggering abundance. This interview was conducted by Erin Andrews, Founder & Executive Director of Impact Zero impactzero.ca

Challenge Ambassadors

We invited community leader and advocates to talk about the weekly challenges from their perspective. We deeply appreciate their insights. In addition, we direct a special thanks to our partner Erin Andrews, Founder & Executive Director of Impact Zero, who produced the videos.

WEEK 1
Rose Barcarse
Second Harvest

WEEK 2
Wasteless.food

WEEK 3
Monique Chan, Dayna Stein and Sophi Robertson

WEEK 4
Michelle Delaney
Thorncliffe Park Urban Farmers

WEEK 5
Sunday Harrison
Green Thumbs

WEEK 6
Ronnie Seagren
ECOLOGOS/WATERDOCS

A third of the food raised or prepared does not make it from farm or factory to fork. Producing uneaten food squanders a whole host of resources — seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital — and generates greenhouse gases at every stage — including methane when organic matter lands in the global rubbish bin. The food we waste is responsible for roughly 8 percent of global emissions.

Project Drawdown

Food Waste Challenge Champions

Our champions are guides for the challenge.

Sharing Anishnawbe teachings around food

"Nothing is ever in abundance, there is only a certain amount we can take, and a certain amount we can give – we always have to respect it."  – John LaForme

We are grateful to Melissa Stevensons and John LaForme, from the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, for sharing their teachings with us. The foundation supports Anishnawbe Health Toronto, which provides health services grounded in indigenous culture and knowledge to Toronto’s indigenous population. In thanks for their generosity, you are welcomed to make a donation in Melissa or John’s name to support the foundation.

"When we think of the causes of global warming, fossil fuel use most often comes to mind. Less conspicuous are the consequences of our breakfast, lunch and dinner."

- From the Drawdown Book (2017)

Regenerating Toronto

Original graphics, text and presentation © Regenerating Toronto. All rights reserved.
Other images are Creative Commons open source.

Regenerating Toronto is the operating name of Drawdown Toronto, an incorporated, not-for-profit organization.

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