Edible Education 101: Opportunities and Innovations in Food Waste with Jesse Fink and Dana Gunders Video Lecture | Edible Education: Understand Food & its production - Personal Skills

- GOOD EVENING.
WELCOME BACK TO EDIBLE EDUCATION
101.
I'M WILL ROSENZWEIG.
I'M YOUR COURSE GUIDE.
THIS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS
CLASS MEETING NUMBER 12.
WE HAVE TWO MORE TO GO.
TONIGHT'S TOPIC IS FOOD WASTE.
WE HAVE TWO REALLY SPECIAL,
KNOWLEDGEABLE GUESTS WITH US
TONIGHT WHO ARE GOING TO INFORM
US ABOUT BOTH THE CHALLENGES AND
THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE KIND
OF LOCAL, COMMUNITY, GLOBAL AND
PERSONAL LEVELS.
SHOULD BE REALLY INFORMATIVE.
JUST TO REMIND YOU, THIS IS A
TECHNOLOGY-FREE CLASS SO IF YOU
DON'T MIND PUTTING AWAY YOUR
SCREENS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.
SUNDAY, APRIL 30, AT THE FARM, A
SPECIAL BENEFIT FOR SLOW FOOD
SAN FRANCISCO, AND SALLY ROGERS,
THE PRESIDENT OF SLOW FOOD, IS
DOWN HERE, AND SHE WOULD BE
THRILLED IF MEMBERS OF THE CLASS
WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT FUN
EVENT.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT TONIGHT BEFORE WE
GET GOING?
NO?
EVERYBODY'S OKAY?
YOUR LAST CHANCE.
OKAY, GOOD.
HERE IS OUR ROLE CALL.
AND IF YOU TAKE OUT YOUR
I-CLICKER, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS
QUESTION.
THIS PLAYS INTO YOUR READING OF
THE INTRO TO THE FED REPORT.
SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND DOING
THIS, WE'LL TAKE ATTENDANCE.
AND AS A HEAD'S UP, WE'RE GOING
TO DO THIS AGAIN LATER.
SO LATER ON IN THE CLASS, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
GIVE YOU A COUPLE MORE.
- 10 MORE SECONDS.
- ALL RIGHT.
LET'S STOP AND SEE WHAT THE
ANSWER IS.
OOH, OH, LET'S SEE.
IT LOOKS LIKE SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T
REALLY GET THE CONTENT THERE.
LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE SHIFTING
THEIR ANSWERS NOW.
[LAUGHTER]
- OKAY.
WELL, WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT.
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS "C", I
BELIEVEá--áNO, YESá--áTHE
CORRECT ANSWER IS "C" IS THAT
RIGHT, JESSE?
YES.
CORRECT ANSWER IS "C" SO ABOUT
55% OF YOU GOT THE RIGHT GUESS.
HOW'S THAT.
LAST WEEK, I GAVE YOU THE
ASSIGNMENT AND I WAS THINKING
ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK.
REMEMBER, THIS IS REALLY FOR YOU
TO DEVELOP A PERSPECTIVE ON AN
ISSUE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT AND
THEN RESEARCH THE VARYING AND
DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES ON THAT
ISSUE AND THEN OUTLINE THOSE
PERSPECTIVES, TAKE A STAND ON
ONE, AND THEN DEVELOP A STRATEGY
AND SOME TACTICS ABOUT HOW YOU
WOULD BEST DELIVER THAT STAND TO
PERSUADE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T
SHARE YOUR OPINION.
SO IT'S A CHALLENGING QUESTION.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE ALREADY
WORKING AWAY ON IT, BECAUSE
YOU'VE CONTACTED US WITH YOUR
QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS.
SO JUST TO MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE
EXCITING, I THOUGHT THIS WEEK,
WHY DON'T WE ADD AN EXTRA CREDIT
BONUS DIMENSION TO THIS
QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?
I KNOW SOME OF YOU REALLY LIKE
EXTRA CREDIT, RIGHT?
SO HERE'S THE EXTRA CREDIT.
FOR 25% MORE OF YOUR GRADE, ON
AN ADDITIONAL ONE PAGE, YOU GET
TO OUTLINE THE COMPETINGá--áYOU
GET TO ELABORATE THE COMPETING
ARGUMENT, BUT YOU ACTUALLY TAKE
BOTH STANDS.
YOU ARGUE THE ONE YOU CARE
ABOUT, AND THEN YOU ARGUE THE
ONE THAT'S CONTRARY TO THAT.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND?
ANYBODY GOING TO DO IT?
ALL RIGHT.
YEAH, WE'VE GOT AN AMBITIOUS
CLASS HERE AT BERKELEY.
SO WE'LL POST THIS UP ON B
COURSES.
I'M SORRY?
IT'S A MAXIMUM OF AN ADDITIONAL
25%, YEAH.
OKAY.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON THE FIELD
TRIP.
WE'VE BEEN KIND OF THINKING
ABOUT THIS FOR MOST OF THE
SEMESTER.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT NOW.
WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO LOGISTICS.
WE'VE GOT A DATE, WHICH IS MAY
5.
THAT'S DURING THAT WEEK
CALLEDá--áWHAT'S THAT WEEK
CALLED?
RRR WEEK, WHICH MEANS REST,
RELAXATION, AND REGENERATION OR
SOMETHING, RIGHT?
BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS THE MOST
POPULAR WEEK OF THE MEMBERS OF
THE CLASS.
NOW WE'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT
OUR OPTIONS FOR GETTING THERE
ARE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR
AND YOU COULD DRIVE, LET'S SAY
AN AVERAGE OF THREE OTHER
PEOPLE, CLICK "A" ON YOUR
CLICKER, AND IF YOU ARE INCLINED
TO GO, BUT COULD BE WILLING TO
PAY FOR LIKE A BUS IF WE WERE TO
RENT A BUS, BUT "B", OKAY.
WE'LL SEE WHO TURNS UP FOR THAT.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
GOOD.
SWITCH OVER.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING
TO SEE IT.
OKAY.
SO WE'VE GOT 32 PEOPLE WHO COULD
DRIVE, WHICH ACTUALLY MIGHT
WORK, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAD A
TOTAL OF 70 PEOPLE OR SOMETHING
THAT WANTED TO GO.
SO WE'LL HAVE YOUR INFORMATION
AND BE IN TOUCH THIS WEEK ON
LOGISTICS AND RELEASES AND ALL
THE DETAILS LIKE THAT, OKAY?
WE'LL FREEZE THIS AND TAKE IT.
PEOPLE ARE VOTING FOR OTHER
THINGS.
A LOT OF WISE GUYS HERE.
ANOTHER THING I PROMISED YOU
EARLIER IN THE YEAR WAS THAT FOR
THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE VERY
CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ASKING
QUESTIONS AS PART OF THAT SUNDAY
NIGHT HOMEWORK, WHO HAVE
CONTRIBUTED QUESTIONS THAT THE
OPPORTUNITY INSTRUCTORS AND
READERS HAVE CHOSEN OR CALLED
OUT, WHAT WE DID WAS WE
COLLECTED ALL OF THOSE NAMES OF
PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER
AND ROHIMI PUT THEIR NAME IN
HERE ON A LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER.
IF YOU ACTUALLY HAD MORE THAN
ONE QUESTION SUBMITTED, YOUR
NAME IS IN HERE MORE THAN ONCE.
SO ROHIMI, COME UP HERE FOR A
SECOND.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS DRAW
OUT TWO NAMES FROM HERE, AND IF
YOU HAPPEN TO BE HERE TONIGHT,
YOU WILL BE COMING TO DINNER
WITH SAM CASS ON APRIL 26TH AT
SCHAFE&EAST [SP].
IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, PLAY ALONG
AT HOME.
THE FIRST WINNER IS.
- JESSICA LEE.
- JESSICA LEE, ARE YOU HERE
TONIGHT, JESSICA?
SHE'S HERE.
- YAY, OKAY.
[LAUGHTER]
- JESSICA IS HERE.
WAY TO GO, JESSICA.
DON'T BE TOO EMBARRASSED.
BIG APPLAUSE FOR JESSICA.
WAY TO GO.
[APPLAUSE]
- SECOND NAME IS AARON JARADI.
DID I SAY THAT RIGHT?[APPLAUSE]
DE.
- AARON, YOU'RE IN.
JESSICA AND AARON, WE WILL SEE
YOU FOR DINNER ON APRIL 26.
DON'T DRESS UP.
SO JUST A QUICK REVIEW FOR JESSE
AND DANA, THIS WAS THE SEMESTER
SO FAR.
IT'S BEEN WHIRL WIND.
WE HAD ALICE WATERS AND THE
SECOND WEEK, BEAUTY OF FARMING
IN COLLABORATION WITH CUSTOMERS.
ROBERT REICH WAS HERE TALKING
ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT WHERE
ECONOMIC POWER AND POLITICAL
POWER COME TOGETHER.
CAPPED OFF BY NAOMA STARKMAN
TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
INDEPENDENT PRESS, PARTICULARLY
IN THE FOOD SYSTEM.
AND SARU JAYARAMAN WAS HERE
TALKING ABOUT RESTAURANT
WORKERS' RIGHTS AND THE
TRIANGULATION WITH INCREASED
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND WAGES IN
THAT AREA.
THE NEXT WEEK, WE TALKED ABOUT
THE MICRO BIOHM WITH THE THREE
MUSK STEERS FROM STANFORD AND
DAVIS WHO SHOWED US THE MICRO
BIOHM OF THE MOUSE.
NEXT WEEK, WE HAD OUR FOOD TECH
INNOVATION INTENSIVE AND WE HAD
FIVE OR SIX ENTREPRENEURS
TALKING ABOUT FOOD DELIVERY AND
PLANT-BASED PROTEIN AND THE
CONNECTED KITCHEN OF THE FUTURE
AND DIGITAL FOOD.
THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY ANNA LAPPE
AND SOPHI EGAN WHO TALKED ABOUT
FEEDING A PLANET OF 9 BILLION
PEOPLE, FOLLOWED BY RAJ PATEL
AND MICHAEL POLLAN.
NEXT WEEK, GARY HIRSHBERG AND
PAUL SHAPIRO.
FOLLOWING THATá--áAND LAST WEEK,
WE HAD MICHELLE FROM WHOLESOME
WAGE.
IT'S BEEN A FUN SEMESTER SO FAR.
HAPPY WITH THAT.
THIS WEEK, REALLY DELIGHTED TO
HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN
REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN REALLY
RAISING BOTH THE VISIBILITY AND
THE CREDIBILITY IN THE FOOD
WASTE SPACE.
PARDON THE PUN, THIS IS AN AREA
OF FOOD WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF
LOW-HANGING FRUIT.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND
A LOT OF CHALLENGES, BUT IT
SEEMS TO BE AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE
ARE PARTICULARLY PASSIONATE
ABOUT, BOTH AT KIND OF A
COMMUNITY LEVEL, AT A GLOBAL
LEVEL, AT A SUPPLY CHAIN LEVEL,
AND THEN ALSO AT A PERSONAL
LEVEL.
SO OUR TWO PEEKERS TONIGHT ARE
COMING AT THIS FROM DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES, AND DIFFERENT
APPROACHES, AND I THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING FOR
YOU TO HEAR KIND OF DIFFERENT
THEORYS OF CHANGE OR DIFFERENT
METHODS AT COMING AT ATTACKING A
PROBLEM.
AND OUR FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS
JESSE FINK.
AND JESSE, ALONG WITH HIS BETSY,
ARE FOUNDERS OF THE FINK FAMILY
FOUNDATION AND THEIR DAUGHTER
CARLY IS HERE TONIGHT.
HI, CARLY.
AND IT'S A FAMILY ENDEAVOR
THAT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON
CATALYZING THAT REFED REPORT
THAT YOU READ.
WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT JESSE
AND BETSY IS THEY REALLY STARTED
THEIR EDUCATIONAL PATH IN THE
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AREA, AND
STUDIED FORESTRY AND OTHER
DIMENSIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT,
AND THEN JESSE SOMEHOW FELL INTO
BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR FOR A
COMPANY CALLED PRICE LINE.
REMEMBER THAT, THOSE OF YOU
OLDER THAN 20?
PRICELINE WAS THE FIRST COMPANY
TO REALLY BRING THE POWER OF THE
INTERNET TO TRAVEL AND WAS
REALLY LOOKING AT OPTIMIZING
INVENTORY, AND THE INVENTORY OF
AIRLINE SEATS IS SOMETHING THE
INDUSTRY THINKS OF AS BEING
PERISHABLE, SO THERE'S ACTUALLY
SOME COMMON GROUND BETWEEN WHAT
THE PROBLEMS PRICELINE WAS
TAKING ON, PERISHABLE INVENTORY,
AND THE WORLD OF REFED, WHICH IS
ALSO LOOKING AT PERISHABLE
INVENTORY IN FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES, IN PARTICULAR.
SO JESSE IS GOING TO SHARE WITH
YOU HIS JOURNEY WITH PUTTING
TOGETHER THE REFED REPORT, AND
I'M GOING TO ASK HIM TO SPEAK
FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR OR SO.
THEN I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE
DANA.
BUT WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE
WELCOME JESSE FINK TO THE STAGE.
[APPLAUSE].
- HERE IS YOUR CLICKER AND YOUR
MIKE IS ON.
AND YOU'RE READY TO GO.
- OKAY.
- HELLO, EVERYBODY.
THANKS FOR COMING OUT AND
SPENDING THE EVENING WITH ME,
AND THANKS FOR THE ANSWERING THE
REFED QUIZ.
FIRST TIMER THE SECOND TIME
AROUND, SO APPRECIATE THAT.
AS WILL SAID, I HAVE ABOUT A
HALF HOUR, AND THERE'S THREE
ASPECTS OF WHAT I'D LIKE TO
COVER.
THE FIRST IS REALLY THE JOURNEY
OF WHAT BETSY AND I HAVE BEEN
GOING THROUGH FOR THE LAST 20
YEARS IN OUR QUEST IN LOOKING
FOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
THE SECOND PART I'LL TALK ABOUT
REFED AND HOW WE GOT TO THE
REFED REPORT AND WHAT'S HAPPENED
IN THE YEAR SINCE WE LAUNCHED
THE REFED ROAD MAP.
AND THE THIRD, I'LL TOUCH ON A
PERSONAL ASPECT WHERE BETSY AND
I HAVE BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF
DAYS AND THE LEARNINGS WE HAD IN
SORT OF THE EPICENTER OF FOOD
AND PRODUCE IN PARTICULAR, IN
NOGALES, ARIZONA, WHERE WE CAME
BACK FROM YESTERDAY.
I WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO
WILL FOR GIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS
EVENING.
THIS IS REALLY SUCH A GREAT
CLASS, AND AN HONOR TO BE HERE
FOLLOWING THE OTHER SPEAKERS.
IT'S GREAT TO SHARE THE STAGE
WITH DANA.
WE'VE DONE IT A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT TIMES AND HAVE GREAT
RESPECT FOR THE WORK THAT DANA
HAS BEEN DOING IN D.C. LONG
BEFORE WE GOT INVOLVED WITH IT.
IN THE AUDIENCE IS SARAH VARED,
WHO IS WITH MISSION POINT
PARTNERS AND IS REALLY THE
AUTHOR AND THE CHAMPION OF THE
REFED REPORT AND HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN FOOD WASTE FOR THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND,
ACTUALLY, SHE AND DANA HAVE
TRAVELED THE COUNTRY SPEAKING
TOGETHER.
SHE IS MY LIFELINE, SO IF THERE
ARE REALLY SPECIFIC DATA
QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO CALL ON
SARAH.
AND NEXT TO SARAH IS CHRIS
COCHRAN, WHO IS THE NEW
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF REFED.
SO AFTER CLASS, YOU SHOULD GO
SURROUND HIM WITH QUESTIONS AND
EVERYTHING ELSE.
BEHIND THEM IS MY WIFE, BETSY,
WHO IS REALLY THE INSPIRATION OF
EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON.
AS WILL SAID, BETSY AND I MET IN
FORESTRY SCHOOL IN SYRACUSE, NEW
YORK A WHILE AGO AND GOT MARRIED
AND HAVE BEEN ON REALLY A
JOURNEY TO SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS
OR SO AND, SPECIFICALLY, AFTER
PRICELINE, WHICH WAS QUITE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR US WHENá--áAND
WE BOTH WERE AT PRICELINE.
WHEN WE LEFT THE COMPANY, WE HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY DO
WHATEVER WE WANTED TO DO AND, AT
THAT POINT, WE STARTED THE
FOUNDATION, AND THE FOUNDATION
WAS FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL
SOLUTIONS, AND THAT WAS NEARLY
20 YEARS AGO, AND WE HAVE BEEN
ON THIS JOURNEY, THINGS RELATED
TO CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE, FOOD ACCESS, AND
ALL OF THAT LEADING TO WHERE WE
ARE WITH FOOD WASTE.
SO BETSY HAS BEEN THE
INSPIRATION AND IF AT ANY POINT
YOU WANT TO COME UP HERE, YOU
CAN COME UP HERE.
AND THE NEXT TIME SHE WILL.
[LAUGHTER]
- PRICELINE WAS BUSINESS MODEL
INNOVATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD RAISE
YOUR HAND OF HOW MANY FOLKS ARE
IN THE BUSINESS SCHOOL OR HAVE
HAD ACCESS, THAT MIGHT BE
HELPFUL TO ME SO I GET A SENSE.
[PAUSES]
- GREAT.
THANK YOU.
WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING
PRICELINE, THE TERM "BUSINESS
MODEL" WAS NOT USED NOR
"BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION."
WE JUST WANTED TO SOLVE THE
PROBLEM THAT THERE WERE EMPTY
SEATS ON THE AIRLINES, AND
PEOPLE WANTED TO TRAVEL BUT THEY
COULDN'T AFFORD TO TRAVEL SO IT
WAS ACTUALLY USING TECHNOLOGY AS
AN ENABLER WITH THE BUSINESS
MODEL INNOVATION, AND THAT'S HOW
WE CREATED THE BUSINESS BEHIND
PRICELINE AND 18 YEARS LATER, IT
CONTINUES TO BE A PHENOMENAL
COMPANY, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD TO
HAVE BEEN PART OF IN THE
BEGINNING.
AND AS WILL SAID, IT NEEDS TO
COME FULL CIRCLE AND TO BE
REALLY LOOKING AT PERISHABLE
PRODUCTS AND AN AIRLINE SEAT
ISN'T GOING TO PERISH BUT THE
INVENTORY OF IT IS CONSIDERED
PERISHABLE IF SOMEONE IS NOT
SITTING IN IT AND THEY'RE NOT
GETTING REVENUE, BUT A TOMATO IS
GOING TO PERISH.
SO THE SAME ASPECTS WE WERE
THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE WERE
CREATING PRICELINE ARE BACK TO
WHAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT AS
IT RELATES TO FOOD WASTE.
SO IF I SORT OF CAN THINK
THROUGH THE 15 OR 20 YEARS THAT
WE HAVE BEEN IN THE SPACE,
BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE DRIVERS FOR US.
A TERM CALLED IMPACT INVESTING,
AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR
15 YEARS BEFORE THERE WAS THE
TERM OF IMPACT INVESTING.
BUT FOR US, IT WAS ALIGNING OUR
VALUES AND OUR PURPOSE WITH OUR
ASSETS AND INVESTING IS NOT JUST
FINANCIAL INVESTING AND CAPITAL,
NOT JUST FINANCIAL CAPITAL, BUT
IT'S ALL FORMS OF CAPITAL.
FINANCIAL CAPITAL, INTELLECTUAL
CAPITAL.
THERE'S THREE OTHER FORMS THAT I
CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE,
BUT IT'S ALIGNING ALL THOSE.
SO FOR US, THE IMPACT INVESTING
IS KIND OF ALL-IN.
IT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN
DOING AND SOMETIMES IT LEADS
WITH AN INVESTMENT.
SOMETIMES YOU FOLLOW THE
INVESTMENT.
BUT IT'Sá--áTHE BELIEF THAT YOU
ACTUALLY CAN MAKE A FINANCIAL
RETURN AND YOU CAN HAVE A SOCIAL
IMPACT AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO
TRADE OFF ONE OR THE OTHER.
AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR
A REALLY LONG TIME.
WE'RE THRILLED THAT THE FIELD
HAS GOTTEN MUCH LARGER, AND
THERE ARE NOW MANY MORE PEOPLE
WHO ARE DOING IT.
THE COURSE IS PROBABLY TAUGHT
HERE AND PROBABLY HAS BEEN
TAUGHT FOR A LONG TIME SINCE
THIS SCHOOL IS PIONEERING IN SO
MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IT HAS
BECOME MORE AND MORE MAIN
STREAM, AND THAT'S GREAT.
IN ADDITION TO THE INVESTING
SIDE, WHAT BETSY AND I HAVE BEEN
DOING THROUGH THE FOUNDATION AND
NOW BRINGING DREW AND CARLY IN
AS WELL, IS VENTURE PHILANTHROPY
OR CATALYTIC PHILANTHROPY AND
OUR DEFINITION OF THAT IS BEING
EARLY, LIKE VENTURE CAPITAL, BUT
IT'S VENTURE PHILANTHROPY.
SO BEING EARLY, TRYING TO SOLVE
A PROBLEM, TAKING RISKS EARLY
ON, BEFORE OTHER FOUNDATIONS OR
OTHER FORMS OF CAPITAL WOULD
COME INTO THAT.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT QUITE A BIT.
LAST WEEK, WHEN MICHELLE NECHAN
WAS HERE, HE TALKED A LOT ABOUT
THE DOUBLE SNAP, THE DOUBLE
VALUE PROGRAM, AND BETSY AND I
WERE THE FIRST FUNDERS OF
WHOLESOME WAY, IN THE FORM OF
VENTURE PHILANTHROPY, I REMEMBER
MICHE AND HIS PARTNER SITTING IN
OUR CONFERENCE TALKING ABOUT THE
CONCEPT OF DOUBLE VALUE COUPONS
AT FARMERS MARKET WITH SNAP,
SAYING WE NEED TO GET IT STARTED
AND HOW WE CAN GET IT STARTED
AND BETSY AND I TOOK A BREAK,
WENT OUTSIDE, CAME BACK AND
SAID, MICHEL, WE'LL DOUBLE THE
DOUBLE.
IN MICHEL'S TALK, HE TALKED
ABOUT FUNDERS AND THE ONES WHO
BACKED HIM AND WE WERE THE FIRST
ONE, AND WE ESSENTIALLY GAVE HIM
A GRANT SO THAT IN FIVE CITIES,
HE COULD DOUBLE THE DOUBLE AND
THAT WAS THE START OF THE DOUBLE
COUPONS.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW OF THOSE
OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS THAT
WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND WE'RE
REALLY QUITE PROUD OF THE
ORGANIZATIONS, THE NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE
SUPPORTED.
WE KIND OF NARROW ALL OF THIS
DOWN TO THIS TRIANGLE AND I WANT
TO CREDIT MY PARTNER AT MISSION
POINT PARTNERS, MARK SERILLI,
WITH THE TRIANGLE.
AND IT'S HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS.
AND YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE'S THE
BUDDHIST TRIANGLE AND OTHER
RELIGIOUS TRIANGLES THAT ARE
SIMILAR TO THIS, BUT IT'S KIND
OF A GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR US.
WHEN WE LOOK AT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT OR LOOK AT
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO OTHER
ACTIVITIES, WE LOOK AT THE THREE
POINTS OF THE TRIANGLE, PERSONAL
FULFILLMENT, PROFIT AND
FINANCIAL RETURNS, AND PURPOSE.
AND IT'S JUST A WAY THAT WHEN WE
ARE EVALUATING, IF WE WANT TO
GET ENGAGED IN INVESTMENTS OR AN
ACTIVITY, WHERE DOES IT FIT?
AND HOPEFULLY, IF WE DO IT WELL,
IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ON ALL
POINTS OF THAT.
IN SOME CASES, IT'S VERY HEAVILY
ON A FINANCIAL RETURN.
OTHER CASES, IT'S SOMETHING
THAT'S A VERY PERSONAL
FULFILLMENT.
HOPEFULLY, IN ALL CASES, THERE'S
PURPOSE BEHIND IT, SO THAT HAS
BEEN OUR GUIDING LIGHT.
WE STARTED OUR FOUNDATION, BETSY
AND JESSE FINK FOUNDATION.
AND BETSY WAS VERY FOCUSED ON
AGRICULTURE AND THE SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE.
I WAS FOCUSED ON RENEWABLE
ENERGY AND ON THE ENERGY SECTOR,
AND WE EACH KIND OF DID OUR OWN
THING.
BETSY WAS ON THE BOARD OF
AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST AND
WHOLESOME WAVE AND OTHER FARMING
AND AGRICULTURE NONPROFITS AND
THROUGH THAT, SHE LEARNED ABOUT
POLICY ISSUES AND SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT SMALL-SCALE
FARMERS WERE HAVING, AND MADE A
DECISION THAT SHE WANTED TO BE
ONE OF THOSE FARMERS AND HAVE
THOSE CHALLENGES HERSELF.
BUT REALLY, SHE MADE THE
DECISION THAT SHE WANTED TO
START A FARM AND GET HANDS-ON
EXPERIENCE.
AND PART OF IT ACTUALLY WAS
GROWINGá--áA BIG PART OF IT WAS
GROWING FOOD FOR OUR FAMILY AND
TO HAVE OUR KIDS HAVE AN
EXPERIENCE OF WORKING ON A FARM.
THROUGH THAT, MILLSTONE FARM, WE
STARTED IT AND RAN IT FOR 10
YEARS AND RECENTLY SOLD IT WHEN
WE MOVED OUT OF THE STATE OF
CONNECTICUT.
BUT IT REALLY WAS A LABORATORY
FOR US, AND IT WAS A WAY TO GET
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.
AND I SAY "US" BUT IT REALLY
WASá--áIT WAS BETSY'S DREAM AND
HER PASSION, AND MILLSTONE WAS
AND CONTINUES TO BE A HUB OF
INNOVATION IN OUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY AND ALSO A PLATFORM
DOMESTICALLY AS WELL.
WHILE OWNING THE FARM, OUR FOCUS
WAS GROWING HEALTHY FOOD AND
HELPING OTHER FARMERS, EDUCATING
RESTAURANTS AND MARKETS, HAVING
CONSUMERS COME UP TO THE FARM,
AND SO WE USED IT, REALLY, AS A
PLATFORM FOR OUR LEARNING AND
FOR TEACHING OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, AND
REALIZING HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS
TO GROW HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE,
LOCAL FOOD, WE REALIZED HOW MUCH
FOOD WAS BEING WASTED OUT THE
OTHER SIDE.
AND AT OUR FARM, IT WASN'T MUCH
WASTE AT ALL, BECAUSE WE PICKED
EVERY SINGLE BEAN, AND WE SOLD
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT WE
COULD GROW, BUT BETSY WOULD GO
TO THE RESTAURANT OR
RESTAURANTS, AND AS SHE OR HER
STAFF WAS DELIVERING FOOD COMING
IN, YOU'D GO AROUND THE BACK
DOOR AND SEE IN THE DUMPSTER,
JUST POUNDS AND POUNDS OF GOOD
FOOD, PRODUCE MOSTLY, THAT WAS
BEING THROWN IN THE DUMPSTER.
SO THAT KIND OF AWAKENED HER TO
SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, FOOD WASTE
IS AN ISSUE.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
WE LEARNED A LOT ON THE FARM.
THIS IS SHOWING JOHNNY, OUR
FARMER, WE CREATED THIS THING
CALLED THE MELONATOR.
WE'D GO TO THE MARKETS, BRING
STUFF BACK, AND MAKE COMPOST AND
MAKE FOOD FOR OUR CHICKENS AND
PIGS.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE STARTED
SUPPORTING VARIOUS NONPROFITS,
SO WE COULD LEARN MORE ABOUT
FOOD WASTE.
WE SUPPORTED GLEANING PROGRAMS
AND SOME RESEARCH AND POLICY
WORK, REALLY TO KIND OF GET OUR
ARMS AROUND THE ISSUES OF FOOD
WASTE.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE GRANTEES
THAT WE DID FROM THE FOUNDATION,
AND WE LEARNED A LOT, THEY
LEARNED A LOT, AN IMPORTANT PART
THAT WE TRIED TO DO IS GET OUR
GRANTEES TOGETHER AND SHARE
INFORMATION.
HERE, WAS A BIG TENT.
THE METAPHOR "BEING UNDER THE
TENT", BUT WE WERE ALL TOGETHER
AT MILLSTONE FARM UNDER THE BIG
TENT AND SHARING STORIES AND
EXAMPLES OF WHAT EVERYONE WAS
DOING WITH FOOD WASTE, AND WHAT
WE REALIZED IS THAT WHILE
EVERYONE WAS DOING IT AT ITS OWN
PIECE, WE REALLY DIDN'T SEE THE
BIG PICTURE, AND THAT THERE WAS
A LACK OF DATA AND INFORMATION
ABOUT WHAT THE WHOLE FOOD WASTE
LANDSCAPE IS.
FROM THE FARM TO THE PLATE, WHAT
REALLY WAS HAPPENING?
THERE WASN'T ANY GOOD DATA THAT
WAS DONE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF REPORTS THAT
WERE DONE ON DIFFERENT PIECES OF
IT.
BUT WHAT WAS MISSING WAS THE
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THAT, AND WE
COME FROM THE BUSINESS
PERSPECTIVE IN ADDITION TO THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, AND
SO WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF
IT'S NOT THERE, MAYBE WE SHOULD
CREATE IT.
AND SO WE ASKED MISSION POINT IF
THEY WOULD ENGAGE IN SUCH AN
ACTIVITY, AND SARAH STEPPED UP
AND REALLY TOOK THE LEAD AND FOR
TWO YEARS, MANAGED THIS REFED
ROAD MAP.
AND WE CAME UP WITH THE NAME.
WE HAD HOPED AND I THINK WE WERE
VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS,
THAT WE WOULD DO REAL RIGOROUS
DATA AND PROVIDE DATA AND
SOLUTIONS AND OBSTACLES TO THE
SOLUTIONS SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD
BECOME AWARE OF THE ISSUES OF
FOOD WASTE AND WHAT THOSE
SOLUTIONS ARE AND HOW THEY COULD
ENGAGE.
WHAT'S THE ACTION THAT THEY
COULD TAKE.
I ASKED SARAH TO COLLECT LOGOS,
AND SHE DID A GREAT JOB.
BUT IT'S JUSTá--áWE RAN REFED AS
WE RAN PRICELINE, IN SOME WAYS,
IT WAS A START-UP.
WE WERE AND CONTINUE TO BE
SCRAPPY.
AND BECAUSE REFED CAME OUT OF
NOWHERE WHAT WE FELT WAS IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE
PARTNERS AROUND US THAT HAVE THE
CREDIBILITY AND THE EXPERTISE,
AND DANA WAS WITH US FROM THE
VERY BEGINNING WITH IT
CONCEPTUALLY WITH ME ON THE
STEERING COMMITTEE, AND WE
CREATED THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL OF
THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE HERE,
OVER 30 BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS,
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WHO WERE
ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
WE HIRED DELOITTE AS THE
CONSULTING FIRM TO ACTUALLY GO
GATHER ALL THE DATA, AND WE
REALLY BEAT UP THAT DATA WITH
THE IDEA THAT WHEN THE REPORT, A
ROAD MAP WOULD COME OUT, THAT WE
ALL COULD ESSENTIALLY HOLD HANDS
AND BELIEVE THAT THE DATA WAS
STRONG, IT WAS ACCURATE, AND WE
WOULDN'T BE QUESTIONING THE
DATA.
WE WOULD ALL BE LOOKING TOWARDS
THE SOLUTION.
WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE
A GROUP OF FUNDERS, OTHER
FOUNDATIONS THAT JOINED BETSY
AND I.
AGAIN, BACK TO CATALYTIC
PHILANTHROPY, FORTUNATELY, WE
HAD PROBABLY SEVEN OTHER
FOUNDATIONS AND FAMILIES THAT
GOT BEHIND US BEFORE THERE WAS A
MAIN REFED, BEFORE WE REALLY
KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE DOING,
THEY JOINED US AND SHOWED THE
SUPPORT, AND I BELIEVE THAT
THEY'RE QUITE PLEASED WITH WHAT
THE RESULTS WERE FROM THE
REPORT, AND SINCE THEN, REFED
HAS BECOME A LOT MORE
ESTABLISHED AND ENABLED US TO
HIRE CHRIS TO TAKE IT AND LEAD
THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD.
BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANKS TO
OUR FUNDERS.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME, AGAIN,
HAVING A FOUNDATION, YOU'RE
ALWAYS ON THE SIDE THAT'S BEING
ASKED, WHICH WAS QUITE NICE.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I
HAD TO GO ON THE OTHER SIDE AND
ASK AND I LEARNED AND I HAVE A
LOT MORE RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY
IN THE NONPROFIT THAT IS OFTEN
DOING THE ASKING.
SO WITH REFED, WE WANTED
TOá--áWHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
WHAT IS THE FOOD WASTE PROBLEM?
AND APPROXIMATELY 40% OF FOOD
THAT IS GROWN IS WASTED IN THE
U.S. AND THAT 40% IS ROUGHLY THE
SAME NUMBER THAT'S WASTED AROUND
THE WORLD.
IT'S WASTED FOR DIFFERENT
REASONS.
IN THE REST OF THE WORLD, MORE
OF IT'S WASTED ON THE FARM AND
THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
HERE, MOST OF THAT WASTE IS AT
THE CONSUMER LEVEL AND THE
CONSUMER-FACING LEVEL.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SHOWS, THAT
BETWEEN THE HOMES AND
RESTAURANTS AND MARKETS, A GOOD
80% OF THE FOOD IS WASTED.
AND ALL OF THESE GRAPHICS ARE
RIGHT OUT OF THE REFED REPORT
WHICH IS ONLINE, REFED.COM.
AND IF YOU'RE A REAL DATA PERSON
BEHIND THE REPORT, THERE'S
ANOTHER 100 PAGES OF THE
TECHNICAL APPENDIX.
SO IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO GET
INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S
BEHIND THAT, THERE'S SOME GREAT
READING.
WE CREATED A COST CURVE.
AND IT MAY BE HARD TO SEE ALL
THOSE SOLUTIONS.
AGAIN, YOU COULD SEE IT ONLINE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, ALL OF THE WORK
SAID WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS FROM
AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE THAT
WOULD HAVE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR
THE BUCK.
AND IN FOOD WASTEá--áAND IT'S
THE EPA.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY REDUCE,
RECOVER, RECYCLE.
SO HOW DO YOU AVOID WASTE TO
START WITH IF IT'S THERE, HOW DO
YOU RECOVER IT, AND FOR HUMAN
CONSUMPTION.
AND LASTLY, HOW DO YOU RECYCLE
IT WITH THE WHOLE GOAL OF
KEEPING FOOD WASTE OUT OF THE
LAND FILL.
THE TERM FOOD WASTE AS WE SPENT
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, A LOT
OF PEOPLE A DON'T USE THE TERM
"FOOD WASTE", IT'S A REALLY BAD
TERM.
IT WOULD BE A GOOD QUESTION,
WHAT IS THE BETTER WAY TO
DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS, UNSALEABLE
FOOD OR FOOD THAT WASN'T SOLD.
BUT IT IS A SHAME AND IT IS A
WASTE, BUT IT'S GOOD FOOD AND SO
THERE'S SOME CONSUMER EDUCATION
AND MORE MARKETING THAT COULD
HAPPEN AROUND THAT.
SO THIS IS A COST CURVE.
WHAT'S VERY INTERESTING IS ON
THOSE BIG BARS ARE PREVENTION.
DATE LABELING AND CONSUMER
EDUCATION WHICH DANA WILL TALK
MORE ABOUT IS THE BIGGEST BANG
FOR YOUR BUCK.
IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY AVOID
WASTING THE FOOD TO BEGIN WITH,
THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN
DO.
DOWN HERE, CENTRALIZED ANAEROBIC
DIGESTION AND COMPOSTING.
THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGEST AMOUNT
IS GOING TO THE LAND FILL.
IT'S NOT GIVING YOU THE BIGGEST
RETURN ON YOUR DOLLAR BUT IT'S
THE BIGGEST VOLUME.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL THOSE
THINGS.
THERE ISN'T ANY ONE THAT'S
BETTER.
THE WHOLE IDEA OF A COST CURVE
WAS TO GIVE A ROAD MAP VISUALLY
FOR INDUSTRY AND FOR GOVERNMENT
AND CONSUMERS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES TO FIGURE OUT HOW
THEY COULD REDUCE FOOD WASTE IN
THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
AGAIN, THE THREE SETS OF
SOLUTIONS ARE PREVENTION,
RECOVERY, AND RECYCLING.
AND THERE ARE 27 IN TOTAL.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE
AREá--áSINCE THE REPORT WAS
PUBLISHED A YEAR AGO, THERE HAS
BEEN QUITE A FEW OTHER
CATEGORIES THAT ARE COMING OUT
THAT WE WEREN'T STUDYING OR THEY
WEREN'T AS LARGE AT THE TIME.
BUT SEEMS TO EVEN IN THE LAST
YEAR, THERE'S BEEN PHENOMENAL
GROWTH AND PHENOMENAL INNOVATION
THAT'S HAPPENING IN FOOD WASTE.
IT'S A BIG PROBLEM, AND WHAT WE
WERE TRYING TO SHOW WITH REFED
IS THAT WITH SOME INVESTABLE
DOLLARS, YOU CAN SOLVE THAT
PROBLEM, AND YOU CAN REALLY HAVE
AN ECONOMIC SOLUTION.
AND SO THE STATISTICS HERE,
FIRST OF ALL, MEALS RECOVERED.
WILL DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF MEALS
THAT ARE RECOVERED IF YOU START
ACTING ON THESE SOLUTIONS.
THERE'S A FROM AMOUNT OF WATER
THAT'S BEING USED TO GROW THIS
FOOD THAT'S NOT BEING EATEN.
BUSINESS PROFITS AGAIN,
BUSINESSES, WHETHER IT'S FARMS
OR ANYONE THROUGH THE SUPPLY
CHAIN OR RESTAURANT BUSINESS
THAT'S PAYING MONEY FOR THIS
FOOD, THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID,
SO YOU CAN RECOVER THAT MUCH IN
BUSINESS PROFITS AND THE $6
BILLION IN CONSUMER SAVINGS,
BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS SLIDE SAID
THAT SO MUCH OF THE WASTE IS AT
THE CONSUMER LEVEL.
IF THE CONSUMER WASTED LESS
FOOD, THEY WOULD PUT THAT MONEY
IN THEIR POCKET AND, AGAIN,
THAT'S A BIG, BIG EFFORT ON WHAT
DANA AND I AND D.C. ARE DOING.
THE LAST THING IS JOBS.
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
50,000 JOBS THAT WILL BE FORMED
THROUGH FOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS.
WE BELIEVE NOW THAT THAT NUMBER
IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER, AND
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF INNOVATION
AND JOB CREATION.
JOB CREATION IS INTERESTING.
DANA AND I HAD A CHANCE AROUND
THIS TIME LAST YEAR TO TESTIFY
IN CONGRESS U.S. AGRICULTURE
COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW DANA IF YOU HAD
EVER DONE IT BEFORE, BUT IT WAS
THE FIRST TIME FOR ME AS WELL.
AND VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE
FOOD WASTE TRULY IS A BIPARTISAN
PROBLEM AND A BIPARTISAN
SOLUTION.
AND AS WE WERE MARCHED AROUND TO
THE CONGRESS FOLKS, BOTH ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE AND ON THE
DEMOCRAT SIDE, WHEN WE SAT WITH
THEM, WHEREVER THEY WERE FROM,
ON THE AG COMMITTEE, WHETHER
THEY WERE FROM TEXAS, LOUISIANA,
STATE OF WASHINGTON OR
CALIFORNIA, THEY WOULD LOOK AT
US IN THE EYES AND SAY, WHAT CAN
YOU DO IN MY DISTRICT?
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE HUNGER IN MY
DISTRICT?
AND IT'S AMAZING THAT IN
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIESá--áNOT
AMAZING, IT'S SIDE.
THERE'S SO MUCH FOOD BEING
PRODUCED AND SO MUCH FOOD
INSECURITY IN THOSE RURAL AREAS,
AND THAT'S WHAT CONGRESS IS
INTERESTED IN, IN REDUCING
HUNGER AND IN JOB CREATION AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE IN THE FOOD WASTE SECTOR
FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY
TO GET BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND
MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND JOB
CREATION IS A BIG PART, AND IT'S
INNOVATION.
SO WITH REFED, THE 27 SOLUTIONS
CAME DOWN TO FOUR LEVERS THAT WE
CALL POLICY, FINANCING,
INNOVATION AND EDUCATION.
AND ALL OF THE 27 LEVERS NEED
SOME PIECE OF THIS.
THERE'S ASPECT OF POLICY,
SIMPLIFYING THE POLICY.
INNOVATION WHERE WERE WE GO,
WHETHER IT'S TECHNOLOGY
INNOVATION OR BUSINESS MODEL
INNOVATION IS NEEDED.
FINANCING IS ALWAYS NEEDED FOR
EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT'S
FINANCING, THE SUPPORT,
SMALL-SCALE LOCAL NONPROFIT, OR
FINANCING A LARGE AMOUNT OF
DOLLARS NEEDED FOR LARGE-SCALE
COMPOSTING OR ANAEROBIC
DIGESTION, AND IT'S SO
IMPORTANT.
FINANCING IS KEY, WHETHER IT'S
AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL OR THE
EMPLOYEE LEVEL AT A RESTAURANT
OR SUPERMARKET.
SINCE WE LAUNCHED REFED A YEAR
AGO, WE LAUNCHED CHRIS, WHICH IS
WONDERFUL.
WE CREATED STAKEHOLDER ACTION
GUIDES.
AS I SAID EARLIER, REFED WAS A
MULTISTAKEHOLDER, SO WE GOT
EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.
AND NOW SINCE WE'VE LAUNCHED IT,
WE ARE GOING TO EACH
STAKEHOLDERS.
WE ARE GOING TO FOUNDATIONS, TO
RETAILERS, TO UNIVERSITIES, AND
GIVING THEM REAL SPECIFIC
DIRECTIONS IN THE ROAD MAP.
SO UNIVERSITY JUST AS AN
EXAMPLE, TWO OF THE 27 SOLUTIONS
WERE TRAYLESS DINING AND SMALLER
PLATES.
YOU DON'T NEED HIGH-TECH.
YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF
TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S NOT A POLICY CHANGE.
IT'S A UNIVERSITY DECIDING THAT
THEY GET RID OF THE TRAY OR A
BUFFET GETS RID OF THE TRAY AND
PLATE SIZE GOES FROM 11" TO 9."
THOSE TWO THINGS AT A UNIVERSITY
LEVEL OR BUFFET CAN REDUCE THE
AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT THE
UNIVERSITY OR THE INSTITUTION
SPENDING ON FOOD.
IT ACTUALLY CAN MAKE PEOPLE
HEALTHIER BECAUSE THEY PICK LESS
FOOD.
SO THERE ARE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND OUR GUIDES
ARE NOW TO HELP EACH OF THOSE
SECTORS REALLY FOLLOW AND TAKE
SOME ACTION.
WE HAVE TOOLS THAT WE'LL BE
RELEASING NEXT WEEK.
ONE IS AN ONLINE POLICY TOOL
WHICH WE DID WITH THE HARVARD
FOOD LAW POLICY.
CLINIC, AND POLICY IS VERY
CONFUSING.
THERE ARE FEDERAL POLICY, STATE
POLICY.
THERE'S MUNICIPAL POLICY.
IT'S THE THINGS RELATED TO EVEN
DONATING FOOD THAT'S VERY
CONFUSING, AND WE'VE SPENT A LOT
OF TIME TALKING TO RETAILERS AND
RESTAURANTS, AND THERE'S A LOT
OF FOOD THAT GETS THROWN OUT
INSTEAD OF GETTING DONATED
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT THE LIABILITY ISSUES OR
THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE
POLICY.
SO THIS POLICY TOOL IS AN ONLINE
TOOL THAT SHOULD EXPLAIN THE
DIFFERENT POLICIES AND THEN WHAT
WE HOPE IS THAT THE POLICY GETS
SIMPLER, IT GETS UNIFIED AND
THERE'S BEST PRACTICES OF THAT.
AND THE LAST PART OF THIS IS THE
INNOVATIVE DATABASE, WHICH WE'RE
VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
SINCE THE REFED ROAD MAP CAME
OUT AND PEOPLE SEE REFED AS A
PORTAL IN SOME WAYS FOR
INNOVATION RELATED TO IT, WE
HAVE OVER 400 INNOVATORS AND
ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE PART OF
THE DATABASE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT
WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER AND THE
INNOVATION IS ALL OVER THE
PLACE.
IT REALLY COMES WITH THE THREE,
REDUCE, RECOVER, RECYCLE.
IT FITS WITHIN THE 27 SOLUTIONS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, SOME OF
THE BIG AREAS ARE DONATED,
SYSTEMS BEING ABLE TO TRACK
DONATIONS BETTER, TRANSPORTATION
FOR DONATIONS.
SO MUCH MORE FOOD WOULD BE
DONATED BUT IT'S HARD TO GET THE
FOOD FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
COMPOSTING.
AND THEN SECONDARY MARKETPLACE,
WHICH IS THE IDEA OF TAKING FOOD
THAT WOULD BE WASTED FROM A
BYPRODUCT OF SOME PROCESS AND
USED TO CREATE OTHER FOOD.
SO AFTER JUICING, WHICH IS
EVERYWHERE, THERE'S ALL THIS
GREAT PRODUCT THAT CAN BE USED
FOR VEGETARIAN HAMBURGERS AND
OTHER ASPECTS OF IT.
THERE'S A GENTLEMAN RIGHT OUT
HERE AT A COMPANY CALLED REGRAIN
THAT IS USING THE SPENT FROM
BREWERIES AND CREATING GRANOLA
BARS.
IT'S VERY EXCITING, AND IT'S
ACTUALLY QUITE TASTY THAT'S
BEING USED FOR THAT.
SO LOTS OF INNOVATION HAPPENING
IN ALL OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
THIS IS JUST SHOWING FROM THE
400 INNOVATORS IN THE DATABASE
WHAT'S GOING ON AND IT'S SPLIT
BETWEEN PREVENTION, RECOVERY AND
RECYCLING.
IT'S SPLIT BETWEEN FOR-PROFIT
AND NONPROFIT AND SPLIT BETWEEN
LOCAL AND NATIONAL.
SO THERE'S INNOVATION HAPPENING
EVERYWHERE.
IT'S HAPPENING AS YOU WOULD
SUSPECT IN LABS, UNIVERSITIES,
PEOPLE'S GARAGES.
IT'S HAPPENING IN LARGE
CORPORATIONS.
IT'S ACTUALLY AN EXCITING TIME
FOR INNOVATION.
IN MY SORT OF CLOSING COUPLE OF
MINUTES, THIS IS A MONTAGE OF
WHERE BETSY AND I WERE IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
WE WERE IN THE TOWN OF NOGALES,
ARIZONA.
ANYBODY BEEN TO THE TOWN OF
NOGALES, ARIZONA?
REALLY, ALL RIGHT.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU THERE?
SO NOGALES IS SOMETHING THAT
MICHEL HAD TOLD BETSY AND I SIX
YEARS AGO, HEY, IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN FOOD WASTE, YOU'VE
GOT TO CHECK OUT NOGALES SO WE
PUT IT OUR FOOD-WASTE BUCKET
LIST.
WE KNEW WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE WERE COMING OUT FROM
COLORADO, AND WE WENT TO
NOGALES, ARIZONA.
WHAT THESE SLIDES ARE SHOWING
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE IS A FOOD
BANK CALLED BORDERLANDS, AND IT
PROBABLY IS THE LARGEST FOOD
BANK IN AMERICA FOR FRESH FOOD,
FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
AND IN NOGALES, IT ISá--áNOGALES
IS THE LARGEST PORT FOR FOODS
AND VEGETABLES COMING FROM
MEXICO.
WHEN BETSY AND I WERE THERE, WE
WERE JUST AMAZED.
THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE 2,000
TRUCKS, TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS
EVERY DAY THAT ARE PASSING THE
BORDER ON THEIR WAY TO DIFFERENT
DISTRIBUTION POINTS IN THE U.S.
SO WE WENT DOWN THERE TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON,
AND BORDERLANDS IS RECAPTURING
AS MUCH FOOD AS THEY CAN.
IF ANYONE IS LOOKING FOR AN
OPPORTUNITY OR TO DO SOMETHING,
THEY COULD USE SOME SMART PEOPLE
AND SOME HELP DOWN THERE,
BECAUSE THEY NEED PEOPLE.
THAT'S OUR GUIDE AT THE BOTTOM.
THEY HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET.
THEY DELIVER IN ARIZONA.
THEY DELIVERá--áPEOPLE CAN TAKE
SOME OF IT BACK TO MEXICO.
AND THEY'RE DELIVERING ALL
THROUGHOUT THE U.S.
SO THE RECOVERY ASPECT IN
NOGALES, IT GAVE US A CHANCE
JUST TO SEE THE MAGNITUDE OF
WHAT WAS HAPPENING THERE.
IN ADDITION TO RECOVERY, THE
WHOLE CONCEPT OF RECYCLING IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THINGS
OUT OF THE LAND FILL.
SO HERE, WE WERE VISITING THE
COMPOST CATS, WHICH IS A COMPOST
FACILITY, VERY LARGE SCALE, THAT
WAS STARTED BY STUDENTS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA THAT'S
HUGE.
THEY'RE COMPOSTING THE FOOD THAT
THEY CAN'T RECOVER FROM HUMAN
CONSUMPTION, IS GOING OUT AND
BEING COMPOSTED.
ANIMAL FEED, WE TALKED ABOUT AS
ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS SHOWING HAPPY PIGS THAT
ARE EATING FOOD THAT WOULD HAVE
OTHERWISE GONE BAD, AND THEN THE
LAST PART IS THE COMPOSTING
PIECE OF THAT.
THE WHOLE GOAL OF REDUCING FOOD
WASTE AND WHY WE STARTED WITH
THE REFED ROAD MAP AND WHY WE'RE
CONTINUING TO GO DEEPER INTO
LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS IS TO KEEP
FOOD OUT OF THE LAND FILL.
AND THIS IS A PHOTO OF NOGALES
AND THAT'S A TRACTOR-TRAILER,
AND WHAT HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES
A DAY IS A TRACTOR-TRAILER FULL
IN THIS CASE OF I DON'T KNOW IF
IT'S SQUASH OR BANANAS, BUT A
TRAILER COMES TO THE LAND FILL,
BACKS UP, AND JUST DUMPS IT OUT.
AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T
REALLY WANT TO DO THAT AND THE
TRUCKERS DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK THE REAL GOAL IS TO
FIND WAYS TO KEEP GOOD FOOD OUT
OF THE LAND FILL, AGAIN, BY
PREVENTION FIRST AND, SECOND, BY
RECOVERY AND, LAST, ARE
INNOVATIONS WITH COMPOSTING AND
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION.
I THINK I'M DONE.
AND SO YOU GUYS ARE THE FUTURE.
YOU REALLY ARE.
AND THAT'S OUR FAMILY ON THE
OTHER SIDE, SO THANKS.
[APPLAUSE]
- THANK YOU, JESSE.
I'M GOING TO BRING JESSE BACK UP
IN A FEW MINUTES.
I'M GOING TO HAVE DANA COME UP.
JESSE, YOU DID SUCH AN AMAZING
JOB WITH PRICELINE THAT THERE'S
NOT A SEAT TO BE HAD ON ANY
UNITED FLIGHT NOW, I UNDERSTAND.
SO I HEARD YOU WERE KIND OF THE
GUY TO BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPENED
THIS WEEK.
[LAUGHTER]
- SO OUR NEXT GUESTá--áCAN I
SHOW YOU OUR MOVIE FIRST, DANA?
YEAH, LET ME SHOW DANA'S MOVIE.
DO WE HAVE SOUND?
THANK YOU.
[MUSIC]
- CAN WE GET STRAWBERRIES- NO,
HONEY.
- PLEASE- OKAY.
- SAVETHEFOOD.COM.
THANK YOU, DANA.
DANA, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND
SPEAK AND I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR
QUESTIONS AFTER THAT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
DANA GUNDERS IS A SENIOR
SCIENTIST AT THE NATIONAL
RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL.
SHE'S REALLY ONE OF THE TRUE
LEADERS IN THIS FIELD.
I WANTED HER TO COME TONIGHT TO
NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT HER WORK,
BUT ALSO TALK REALLY TO THE
CLASS PART OF WHAT WE'RE HELPING
PEOPLE DO IS PREPARE THEIR OWN
CAREERS, AND SO I'D LOVE FOR YOU
TO TALK A LITTLE BIT TOO ABOUT
THE AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS HOW
THEY MIGHT THINK ABOUT TAKING
THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
AND BRINGING IT FORWARD INTO A
CAREER IN THE FOOD SYSTEM, OKAY?
AND DANA IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE
WASTE-FREE KITCHEN" WHICH IS
REALLY A FANTASTIC, VERY
PRACTICAL BOOK.
I'VE ACTUALLY RECEIVED IT TWICE
AS GIFTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,
BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAVE IT IN MY
KITCHEN.
SO DANA GUNDERS.
[APPLAUSE]
- OKAY.
THANKS, WILL.
WELL, NOW I'M NOT KICKING MYSELF
FOR NOT BRINGING YOU A COPY OF
THE BOOK.
THANK YOU ALL.
THANKS, WILL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE,
FOR HAVING ME.
I KNOW IT'S DINNER TIME.
I'M SURE THERE'S LIKE EIGHT
PLACES YOU COULD GET FREE FOOD
ON CAMPUS SOMEWHERE THAT YOU'RE
GIVING UP TO BE HERE, SO I
APPRECIATE THAT.
I'M ALSO HONORED TO BE IN THE
LINE OF PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE HAD
COME.
YOU GUYS ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE
THIS CLASS, SUCH AN AMAZING SET
OF THINKERS IN THE FOOD SYSTEM,
BUT I ALSO COMMEND YOU FOR
TAKING YOUR TIME TO REALLY LEARN
ABOUT WHAT'S COMING TO YOUR
PLATES, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT
YOU'RE EATING AND HOW MUCH IT
TAKES TO GET THAT FOOD HERE AND
TO US EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY
TIME WE SIT DOWN FOR A MEAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING ON THAT ACCOUNT.
I THOUGHT MY ROAD TO THE TOPIC
WAS WINDING UNTIL I HEARD
JESSE'S ROAD TO THIS TOPIC.
I HAVE NOT GONE AND STARTED A
BIG ONLINE ANYTHING ON MY WAY
HERE.
IN FACT, MY STORY ON HOW I
REALLY GOT INVOLVED IN FOOD
WASTE STARTED LONG BEFORE I
STARTED THINKING ABOUT CAREERS.
MY PARENTS, MY DAD GREW UP IN
THE PHILIPPINES, PARTIALLY.
MY MOM GREW UP IN QUEENS.
HER PARENTS OWNED A LAMP STORE.
WHAT THAT MEANT FOR ME AS A
CHILD IN OUR HOUSEHOLD, I'D BE
TOTALLY EMBARRASSED BECAUSE I'D
HAVE FRIENDS OVER FOR DINNER AND
MY DAD WOULD BE SLURPING THE
CHICKEN BONE UNTIL EVERY LITTLE
PIECE OF MEAT WOULD COME OFF OF
IT.
YOU CAN ASK HIM THIS.
I SWEAR.
MY MOM WOULD POUR WATER IN THE
PASTA SAUCE CONTAINER, SHAKE IT
AROUND AND POUR IT ON THE PASTA
BEFORE SERVING IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ALL
KNOW SOMEBODY LIKE THAT, WHERE
YOU USE THE TEA BAGá--áRAISE
YOUR HAND IF YOU DO.
ALL RIGHT.
OKAY, KEEP YOUR HANDS UP.
KEEP YOUR HANDS UP IF THAT
PERSON YOU KNOW IS UNDER 30
YEARS OLD.
YEAH, VERY FEW.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN
INTERESTING POINT ON THIS WHOLE
ISSUE OF HOW MUCH FOOD IS
GETTING WASTED IS BECAUSE
THERE'S KIND OF A CONSERVATION
MIND-SET THAT OUR PARENTS HAD
WHEN IT CAME TO FOOD THAT HAS
REALLY GOTTEN LOST.
IN FACT, SINCE THE 1970S, THE
AVERAGE PERSON IN THE U.S.
WASTES 50% MORE FOOD THAN THEY
DID BACK THEN, AND I THINK
THAT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT THING
TO NOTE THAT THIS HAS NOT ALWAYS
BEEN THE CASE.
IT'S ALSO NOT THE CASE AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CONSUMER
WASTES ABOUT 10 TIMES MORE THAN
SOMEBODY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, FOR
INSTANCE.
WHILE IT'S SAD IN SOME WAYS, IT
GIVES A LOT OF HOPE BECAUSE IT
MEANS NOT ONLY ROOM FOR PROGRESS
BUT ALSO, IT CAN BE DONE.
WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE HERE.
IT'S BEING DONE ELSEWHERE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF
THINGS JESSE PUT ON THE SCREEN,
JUST TO DWELL A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT
THIS ISSUE.
HE MENTIONED THE RESOURCE
IMPACTS.
I WORK FOR NRDC.
THAT'S THE FUNNY BEAR.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF US,
WE'RE AN ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGANIZATION KIND OF LIKE THE
SIERRA CLUB OR ENVIRONMENTAL
DEFENSE CLUB.
WE'VE BEEN AROUND ABOUT 45 YEARS
WORKING ON EVERYTHING FROM WILD
LIFE PROTECTION TO OCEANS AND
CLIMATE AND ENERGY.
SO WHY ARE WE WORKING ON THIS
ISSUE OF HOW MUCH FOOD GETS
WASTED?
WHAT BROUGHT US TO IT IS REALLY
HOW MANY RESOURCES IT TAKES FOR
US TO GET FOOD TO OUR PLATES,
AND IF WE'RE NOT USING THAT
FOOD, WHAT A WASTE, RIGHT.
SO TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT
IN THE REFED REPORT, THERE'S A
GREAT VISUAL OF WHAT IT TAKES TO
GROW ALL OF THE FOOD, AND IT
GOES LIKE THIS: IF YOU TOOK ALL
OF THE UNEATEN FOOD AND WERE TO
GROW IT IN ONE PLACE, IT WOULD
TAKE A FARM 3/4 THE SIZE OF
CALIFORNIA.
IT WOULD NEED WATER THAT
SURPASSES THE NEEDS OF
CALIFORNIA, OHIO, AND TEXAS
COMBINED AND THEN YOU'D GROW
THAT FOOD, YOU'D HARVEST IS PUT
IT IN TRUCKS, AND TRUCKS WOULD
DRIVE AROUND THE COUNTRY,
THOUSANDS OF MILES, RIGHT, AND
THEY'D GET FILLED UP EVERY 20
SECONDS ALL YEAR LONG, AND THEN
THEY'D GO BASICALLY INSTEAD OF A
PLATE TO A LAND FILL WHERE THE
FOOD WOULD ROT, DECOMPOSE, AND
PRODUCE METHANE, WHICH IS A
POWERFUL GREENHOUSE GAS.
IN FACT, WHAT IT TAKES TO GROW
FOOD AND THE METHANE PRODUCED
WITH IT ROTTING, THE GREENHOUSE
GAS FOOT PRINT OF WASTED FOOD IS
APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THAT OF
ABOUT 37 MILLION CARS, WHICH IS
ABOUT 1 IN 7.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S MONEY
INVOLVED.
YOU SAW THE $218 BILLION WORTH
OF FOOD GOING TO WASTE.
FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON, THAT
WINDS UP BEING ABOUT $400 A
YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY AN
UNDERESTIMATE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT,
THERE'S THIS PROBLEM WE HAVE
LOOKING FORWARD, AND THAT IS
THAT AS WE LOOK TO 2050,
POPULATION OF SOMEWHERE AROUND
$9 BILLION, THE U.N. PROJECTS
THAT WE WILL NEED SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 50 TO 100% MORE FOOD
THAN WE HAVE NOW.
SO UP TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF
FOOD TO MEET THE DEMAND OF THAT
POPULATION, WHO IS BOTH GROWING
BUT ALSO INCREASINGLY EATING
MORE RESOURCE-INTENSIVE
PRODUCTS.
AND WHERE IS THAT FOOD GOING TO
COME FROM, RIGHT?
AND SO LOOKING AT USING THE FOOD
WE'RE GROWING NOW BETTER IS
GOING TO BE AN OBVIOUS PLACE TO
LOOK AND I SEE IT AS AN
EFFICIENCY PROBLEM AND THAT'S
WHERE LOOKING AT SORT OF THE
REDUCE, REUSE, RECOVER MIND-SET
AROUND THIS REALLY MAKES A LOT
OF SENSE TO PRIORITIZE NOT
CREATING THAT SURPLUS IN THE
FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT
GETS US THE EFFICIENCY TO ALLOWS
US IT USE THE FOOD THAT WE'RE
GROWING TO THE BEST THEN.
ALL RIGHT, SO JESSE WAS
DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF
THE MORE BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS,
ENTREPRENEURIAL.
I WANTED TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE
CONSUMER END.
AS YOU SAW ON ONE OF HIS SLIDES,
TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS WITH
CONSUMERS IS WE BELIEVE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK
KIND OF WAYS TO GO ABOUT THIS.
AND THAT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE
CONSUMERS ARE THE LARGEST SOURCE
OF FOOD GOING TO WASTE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF
THE PIE.
BUT ALSO, BEYOND THATá--áAND I
DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY CAPTURED
THIS IN THE ANALYSIS, BUT AS
CONSUMERS, WHEN WE ARE GOING TO
RESTAURANTS, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO
GROCERY STORES, WE BRING OUR
EXPECTATIONS WITH US, AND THOSE
BUSINESSES WANT TO KEEP US
HAPPY.
OUR DINING HALLS WANT TO KEEP US
HAPPY, SO THEY'RE OPERATING IN A
PARTICULAR WAY TO SATISFY THEIR
CUSTOMERS.
SO THOSE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE'RE
BRINGING CAN EITHER DRIVE WASTE
OR REALLY GIVE THOSE BUSINESSES
THE KIND OF SOCIAL LICENSE TO DO
THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY
IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN WASTE
LESS.
THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WE THINK
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR
CONSUMERS TO BECOME AWARE OF
THIS ISSUE.
AND LASTLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL
CONSUMERS AND THEN WE'RE OTHER
THINGS TOO.
WE'RE STUDENTS, WE'RE TEACHERS,
WE'RE POLICYMAKERS, WE WORK IN
RESTAURANTS AND GROCERY STORES.
SO WE REALLY FELT LIKE WHEN YOU
REACH PEOPLE AS PEOPLE, YOU ALSO
GET TO THEM WHEREVER ELSE THEY
ARE OPERATING IN THE WORLD, AND
THAT THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT
REASON TO KIND OF GET THIS OUT.
SO FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, NRDC
EMBARKED ON A CAMPAIGN CALLED
SAVE THE FOOD.
YOU SAW THE VIDEO THAT WE DID.
AND AS WE WERE RESEARCHING THAT
CAMPAIGNá--áOH, I TALKED ABOUT
THAT.
THERE'S ABOUT A YEAR'S WORTH OF
RESEARCH THAT WENT INTO
DEVELOPING THE CAMPAIGN AND
LOOKING INTO WHAT ARE THE ROOT
CAUSES OF WHY PEOPLE ARE WASTING
FOOD.
AND JUST THREE KIND OF
INTERESTING INSIGHTS THAT CAME
OUT OF THAT.
THE FIRST IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T
REALIZE THEY WASTE FOOD.
NO ONE THINKS THEY WASTE FOOD.
IF YOU ASK SOMEBODY, DO YOU
THINK FOOD SHOULD BE WASTED?
NOBODY WILL TELL YOU "YES" BUT
THE NEXT SENTENCE THAT FOLLOWS
IS, OH, BUT I DON'T WASTE FOOD.
MY HOUSEHOLD DOESN'T WASTE FOOD,
RIGHT.
HERE'S THE 10 REASONS WHY WE
DON'T WASTE FOOD.
IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE AND,
ACTUALLY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE
STATISTICS IS THAT ABOUT 75% OF
AMERICANS SAY THEY WASTE LESS
THAN THE AVERAGE AMERICANS.
SO SECONDLY, ASPIRATIONS AND
GOOD INTENTIONS LEAD TO WASTED
FOOD.
NOW, THIS WAS REALLY
INTERESTING.
WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT, YOU
KNOW, WEá--áMANY OF US KIND OF
LIVE OUT OUR IDENTITIES IN THE
FOODá--áIN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
FOOD IN SOME WAYS.
YOU WANT TO HOST A REALLY GOOD
PARTY, YOU HAVE REALLY GOOD
FOOD.
YOU WANT TO EAT WELL, HONOR YOUR
BODY, BE A HEALTHY PERSON, YOU
BUY A LOT OF FRESH PRODUCT.
YOU WANT YOUR KIDS TO EAT
HEALTHY.
YOU'RE TRYING TO COOK
INTERESTING MEALS THAT WILL
ACTUALLY GET THEM TO EAT.
WE'RE DOING ALL THESE THINGS
THAT TO EXPRESS OURSELVES THAT
HAVE VERY GOOD INTENTIONS BEHIND
THEM WITH FOOD AND THE BYPRODUCT
OF THAT IS THAT SOME OF IT GOES
TO WASTE.
WE HAVE ALL OF THIS FRESH FOOD
IN THE FRIDGE AND WE DON'T USE
IT OR YOU HAVE ALL OF THIS LEFT
OVER AFTER A PARTY.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF AN
INTERESTING INSIGHT.
AND LASTLY, THE AD COUNCIL WHO'S
OUR PARTNER ON THIS AD CAMPAIGN,
THEY DO A LOT OFá--áMAYBE YOU'VE
SEEN "CLICK IT OR TICKET" A LOT
OF PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGNS
TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO WEAR
SEAT BELTS, STOP LITTERING, STOP
SMOKING, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.
WHAT THEY FOUND WITH THIS TOPIC
WAS THIS WAS ACTUALLY WAY MORE
COMPLICATED BECAUSE IT'S NOT
JUST ONE THING.
NOT WASTING FOOD IS NOT LIKE,
OKAY, I'M JUST GOING TO DO THIS.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE RESULT OF A
SET OF BEHAVIORS AND IT REALLY
IS ABOUT HAVING BETTER FOOD
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, IF YOU
WILL.
SO IN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO
PEOPLE ABOUT IT, IT ACTUALLY
PRESENTS A MUCH MORE COMPLICATED
CHALLENGE FOR SOMETHING LIKE AN
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.
I SHOULD ALSO NOTE ON THE
CATALYTIC VENTURE PHILANTHROPY
SIDE OF THINGS THAT THE FINK
FOUNDATION WAS THE FIRST FUNDER
TO COME FORWARD AND FUND OUR
SAVE THE FOOD CAMPAIGN.
SO JUST TO DIVE IN A LITTLE
MORE, BECAUSE I LIKE TO GEEK OUT
ON SOME OF THIS BEHAVIOR STUFF,
ALL THESEá--áSO WHAT ARE THESE
SETS OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE'RE
LOOKING FOR, AND WHAT'S CAUSING
IT?
HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
START TO CAUSE FOOD TO BE WASTED
AS PEOPLE GO ABOUT THEIR LIVES
RELATED TO FOOD.
SHOPPING.
SO WE LIVE OUT OUR ASPIRATIONS
TO SHOPPING IN THE GROCERY
STORE.
WE GO TO THE STORE, WALK ALONG,
AND GO, I'M GOING TO EAT HEALTHY
THIS WEEK AND BUY KALE CHIPS AND
KALE, EVERYTHING GREEN AND YOU
GET HOME AND LIKE, I'M JUST
HAVING PASTA OR ORDERING A PIZZA
OR WHATEVER IT IS.
SO THAT'S ONE.
ANOTHER IS FOOD STORAGE.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
HOW TO PROPERLY STORE FOOD,
WHICH MAKES IT KIND OF WILT AND
GO BACK IN YOUR FRIDGE FASTER,
BUT ALSO, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT
COOKING AS MUCH.
THEY'RE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH
FOOD AND HOW TO HANDLE IT.
WE'VE ADOPTED THIS "WHEN IT
DOUBT THROW IT OUT" TYPE OF
MENTALITY, WHERE IF ANYTHING
DOESN'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT, PEOPLE
ARE THROWING STUFF OUT.
COOKING, THERE'S A LOT AROUND
COOKING.
I THINK ONE OF THE BASIC THINGS
HERE IS PEOPLE ARE NOT LEARNING
TO COOK IN THE WAY THAT THEY
USED TO, AND REALLY, IN A HOME,
TO WASTE LESS FOOD, KNOWING HOW
TO COOK AND THROW A MEAL
TOGETHER WITH WHAT YOU HAVE IS
ONE OF YOUR KEY STRATEGIES.
AND LASTLYá--áAND I FIND THIS
ONE FASCINATING IS ACTUALLY,
AROUND WHITE SPACE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDINGS OR
ART WORK OR DESIGN, WE REALLY
VALUE WHITE SPACE.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD, WE'RE
TERRIFIED OF IT, AND WE WANT TO
FILL ANY SPACE THAT WE HAVE WHEN
IT COMES TO FOOD.
JESSE TALKED ABOUT SMALLER
PLATES.
A BIG PLATE WITH JUST A LITTLE
BIT OF FOOD, THAT KIND OF FEELS
WEIRD.
YOU HAVE AN EMPTY REFRIGERATOR
AND IT'S LIKE OOH, RIGHT?
THAT IS A SAD PHOTO.
THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE OTHER
KIND OF BEHAVIORAL THINGS THAT
WERE KIND OF EXCITING.
SO HERE WE GO.
THIS IS ALONG WITH THE REFED
REPORT, ANOTHER HIGHLY
RESEARCHED GRAPH TO TALK ABOUT
FOOD WASTAGE.
NO, BUT THIS IS KIND OFá--áIN
THE TIME I'VE BEEN WORKING ON
THIS, I GET ASKED A LOT ABOUT
WHY ARE PEOPLE ALWAYS WASTING
FOOD AND HOW DO WE STOP THIS?
AND I HAVE KIND OF BOILED IT
DOWN TO THREE THINGS.
ONE IS PEOPLE, AS WE JUST TALKED
ABOUT, THEY DON'T THINK THEY'RE
WASTING FOOD.
NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN
LITTLE BITS AND PIECES
EVERYWHERE, SO WE HAVE REALLY
BECOME NUMB TO IT.
IT'S REALLY NOT ON OUR RADAR.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF AWARENESS,
AND I GUARANTEE YOU, YOU'RE ALL
GOING TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD
OVER THE NEXT WEEK AND SEE FOOD
GETTING WASTED HERE AND THERE, I
THINK BEING AWARE CAN ACTUALLY
HELP SKIM SOME OF THE WASTED
FOOD OFF THE TOP.
SECONDLY, INFORMATION.
WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE QUITE THE
RIGHT INFORMATION TO WASTE LESS
FOOD.
THAT MAY BE BACK TO COOKING
SKILLS.
WE MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE
THE RANDOM SET OF INGREDIENTS
THAT WE HAVE AND COOK SOMETHING
OUT OF IT.
WE MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO STORE
FOOD.
WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THE DATE
LABELS ON FOOD MEANS.
AND I WANT TO PAUSE A SECOND
BECAUSE I WOULD BE REMISS IF I
LET ANYBODY LEAVE THIS ROOMS
WITHOUT KNOWING THE TRUTH ABOUT
DATES ON FOODS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
THE SELL BY, USE BY DATES?
HOW MANY PEOPLE THROW THOSE FOOD
OUT ON THOSE DATES OR THINK
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO THROW FOOD
OUT ON THOSE DATES.
GREAT.
DID YOU GIVE THEM A TEASER OR
SOMETHING?
I LIKE THAT.
WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
YOU DON'T.
THOSE DATES ARE NOT FEDERALLY
REGULATED.
THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU
THE FOOD IS BAD OR SPOILED OR
THAT YOU SHOULD BE THROWING FOOD
OUT ON THOSE DATES.
THEY ARE JUST A GUESS, BEST
GUESS, EDUCATED GUESS BY THE
MANUFACTURER, AS TO WHEN THOSE
PRODUCTS ARE AT THEIR FRESHEST
OR THEIR PEAK QUALITY AND THERE
REALLY IS NO STANDARDIZATION
BEHIND THEM RIGHT NOW.
SO ABOUT 80% OF AMERICANS REPORT
THROWING FOOD OUT AT LEAST
OCCASIONALLY ON THE DATES
BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT
SAFETY AND I WANT YOU ALL TO
KNOW THOSE DATES ARE NOT ABOUT
SAFETY.
OKAY, WE CAN MOVE ON.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST
REASONS THAT PEOPLE ARE WASTING
FOOD OUT THERE, FRANKLY, IS
INCONVENIENCE.
WE CAN GIVE THEM A LOT OF
INFORMATION AND A LOT OF
AWARENESS.
I KNOW COFFEE IS NOT THAT GOOD
FOR ME TO DRINK.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I
DRINK IT EVERY MORNING, EVEN
LIKE THIS.
DON'T TELL HIM.
[LAUGHTER]
- BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A
CONVENIENCE FACTOR HERE, AND I
THINK THAT IS JUST SOMETHING TO
ACKNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ISSUE AND,
YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF OPERATE
KNOWING, YEAH, IT TAKES A LITTLE
BIT OF EXTRA EFFORT SOMETIMES TO
TAKE FOOD HOME FROM A RESTAURANT
OR COOK WHEN YOU HAVE FOOD AT
HOME BUT YOU FEEL LIKE GETTING
TAKE-OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO HOW CAN WE STOP?
THIS IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS ALL
PROBLEM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE KEYS TO WASTING LESS
FOOD IS TO PLAN.
NOT IT USE FOUR-LETTER WORDS UP
HERE BUT THIS ONE IS REALLY A
HARD ONE.
REALLY, IF WE COULD ALL JUST
PLAN OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EAT
FOR THE WEEK AND GO AND BUY THAT
AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT PLAN,
WE REALLY WOULD HAVE A LOT LESS
FOOD GOING TO WASTE.
THE REALITY IS, PROBABLY FOR YOU
AS WELL AS ME, THAT DOESN'T FIT
INTO MY LIFE THAT WELL.
AND, ACTUALLI, THIS IS THE BOOK
THAT I WROTE THAT WILL
MENTIONED, AND SO I LIKE TO TRY
TO GIVE PEOPLE KIND OF A SET OF
STRATEGIES IN THIS BOOK AROUND
HOW WE CAN WASTE LESS FOOD.
I THINK IDEALLY, WE'D ALL PLAN
OUR MEALS AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON
THAT PLAN.
THE REALLY IS WE NEED EMERGENCY
PUT-UP MEASURES, FREEZING FOOD,
INVITING FRIENDS OVER, DOGS WHO
WILL EAT ALL OF OUR LEFT OVERS,
YOU KNOW, IT REALLY TAKES LIKE A
SET OF STRATEGIES, AND YOU KNOW
YOURSELF BEST, SO DEPENDING ON
HOW YOU OPERATE, YOU KNOW, YOUR
SORT OF COME COME UP WITH THE
TYPE OF PRACTICES THAT WORK BEST
FOR YOU, WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY
NEXT POINT.
WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT FOOD
HABITS AND DIFFERENT SETS OF
SKILLS.
AGAIN, IN THE BOOK, WE HAVE
EVERYTHING LIKE HOW DO YOU
BLANCH.
IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY WHO TAKES THE
TIME TO BLANCH AND FREEZE YOUR
FOOD.
WE ALSO HAVE WHAT YOU CAN AND
CANNOT FEED TO YOUR DOG IF
YOU'RE NOT.
SO REALLY COMING UP WITH
SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO WORK
FOR YOU.
IF YOU GO TO SAVETHEFOOD.COM, WE
HAVE TRIED TO PROVIDE A TON OF
INFORMATION THERE TO HELP PEOPLE
GET THE VERY SPECIFIC
INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IN THAT
INFORMATION WEDGE THAT THEY
COULD USE TO WASTE LESS FOOD IN
THEIR OWN LIVES.
YOU'LL FIND A HOST OF DIFFERENT
PRODUCTS.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HOLD A
WRINKLED TOMATO IN YOUR HAND
STANDING IN YOUR KITCHEN?
HOW MANY OF YOU, BY THE WAY,
LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU
ACTUALLY COOK FOOD?
OKAY.
MOST OF YOU, OKAY, I WASN'T
SURE.
ANOTHER STRATEGY IS TO
PRIORITIZE.
NOT ALL WASTED FOOD IS EQUAL, AT
LEAST FROM A RESOURCE
PERSPECTIVE.
ALSO, FROM A FINANCIAL
PERSPECTIVE, A TASTE
PERSPECTIVE, A NUTRITION
PERSPECTIVE.
SO YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE.
YOU'RE PROBABLY DOING THIS
NATURALLY, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU
ONE SENSE AND I KNOW IT'S HARD
TO READ BUT THIS IS A CHART THAT
TALKS ABOUT THE WATER IT TAKES
TO PRODUCE DIFFERENT FOOD
PRODUCTS.
IN FACT, EVERY TIME YOU THROW
OUT A HAMBURGER, THAT'S THE
EQUIVALENT OF TAKING A 90-MINUTE
SHOWER IN TERMS OF THE WATER IT
TOOK TO PRODUCE THAT HAMBURGER.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF YOU IS
THAT WAY UP AT THE TOP IS BEER.
[LAUGHTER]
- AND WINE IS JUST LIKE A
COUPLE OF LITTLE HALF DROPLETS
DOWN.
SOá--áBUT NO, I
THINKá--áCERTAINLY WHEN I TALK
TO BUSINESSES ABOUT THIS, I TRY
TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO REALLY
START WITH ANIMAL PRODUCTS, MEAT
PRODUCTS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE
TO FOCUS IN A PARTICULAR AREA,
THAT'S A GOOD ONE TO START WITH,
SO ALL OF THOSE REASONS,
FINANCIAL, NUTRITION, AND
RESOURCE.
AND, LASTLY, I THINK WE NEED TO
KIND OF BE VERY REAL ABOUT THIS
ISSUE AND WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO
PUT INTO IT AND WHAT'S GOING TO
WORK FOR YOU.
IN MY BOOK, I TELL A LITTLE
STORY ABOUT IN THE BOOK, I TALK
ABOUT BEING IN A COFFEE SHOP,
I'M SITTING THERE WRITING THE
BOOK TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO WASTE
FOOD, HERE ARE YOUR STRATEGIES,
AND I ORDER THIS SANDWICH, AND I
GET A SALAD WITH IT, AND IT
COMES WITH LIKE DRENCHED IN THIS
AWFUL DRESSING, AND I'M NOT
GOING TO EAT THIS.
AND SO I'M SITTING THERE, LIKE,
LAUGHING TO MYSELF AT THE IRONY
OF THIS BECAUSE THERE'S THIS BIG
SALAD ON THE PLATE THAT I'M NOT
GOING TO TOUCH BECAUSE I CAN'T
GET MYSELF TO EAT IT, AS I'M
WRITING ABOUT NOT WASTING FOOD,
AND I THINK THAT REMINDED ME TO
INCLUDE SOMETHING IN THE BOOK
ABOUT THIS REALLY KIND OF BEING
A JOURNEY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT OR
WASTING NO FOOD.
IT'S NOT ABOUT FEELING SUPER
GUILTY IF YOU DO.
IT'S ABOUT INCREASING YOUR
AWARENESS, TAKING STEPS WHERE
YOU CAN, FINDING A FEW THINGS
THAT WORK AND KIND OF LETTING
THAT BE YOUR START, AND I THINK
THAT'S TRUE AT HOME.
IT'S ABOUT BRINGING A CONTAINER
TO THE RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW,,
YOU CAN THINK OF THAT.
MAYBE THAT'S YOUR STEP.
MAYBE IT'S ORDERING A BABY
BURRITO INSTEAD OF A FULL
BURRITO BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO FINISH IT.
SO THAT, I THINK, IS A PLAN.
THE OTHER QUICK QUESTION, SO
THIS LOOKS A LITTLE MORE RANDOM.
THIS IS MY LAST QUIZ QUESTION
THAT WE MIGHT GET TO.
LET'S JUST SAY YOU'RE CONCERNED
ABOUT THIS WHOLE FOOD WASTING
AND WHAT COULD YOU DO SOMETHING?
WHEN I TALK ABOUT THERE'S THIS
WORLD OF THINGS WE COULD SORT OF
BE DOING AROUND THIS, AND I
THINK WE'RE IN A PRETTY EXCITING
TIME RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THERE'S
A LOT OF TRIAL AND ERROR.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE
SINCE ABOUT 2010.
BACK THEN, NOBODY WAS TALKING
ABOUT IT.
SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN
THOUSANDS OF MEDIA ARTICLES, A
LOT OF ENERGY AND A LOT OF
ATTENTION AND WHERE THAT PUTS US
RIGHT NOW IS AT A PLACE PEOPLE
ARE REALLY INTERESTED BUT JUST
REALLY STARTING TO KIND OF
FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME OF
INNOVATION, OF TRIAL AND ERROR,
ON HOW TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
I USED TO PUT THIS SLIDE UP.
THAT'S MY DAUGHTER, ACTUALLY
ABOUT A YEAR AGO NOW, AND I
THOUGHT IT WAS SO BRILLIANT
BECAUSE I PUT A CLEAR PLASTIC
MAT.
INNOVATION ISN'T ALWAYS HIGH
TECH.
I PUT A CLEAR PLASTIC MAT UNDER
HER HIGH CHAIR.
SHE THROWS FOOD DOWN, I PICK IT
BACK UP, AND IT'S NOT DIRTY.
BUT SHE FIGURED OUT THIS GAME
BECAUSE SHE CAN THROW FOOD DOWN
AND FOOD COMES BACK UP, ISN'T
THAT FUNNY, AND DID NOT REALLY
START TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE
CARPET OR THE DOG-HAIRED FILLED
FLOOR OR THE MATS AND OUR HOUSE
AND OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT
MATTER.
SO IT ACTUALLY TOTALLY BACK
FIRED.
I'M NOT SURE IF I SUGGEST THIS
OR NOT ANYMORE WHEN IT COMES TO
THIS.
BUT THAT WAS MY TRIAL AND ERROR
APPROACH THERE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO JUST KIND
OF STEP BACK, THINK ABOUT JUST
IN YOUR OWN EATING HABITS AND
FOOD HABITS, WHAT CAN YOU DO, IN
YOUR OWN DINING HALLS, MAYBE IN
YOUR OWN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
WHAT YOU CAN DO.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
[APPLAUSE]
JESSE CAN COME BACK AND CHAT
WITH US.
- IS THIS ON?
DO I HAVE THIS ON?
YEAH, AM I ON?
SO JESSE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I REALLY WANTED TO KIND OF
UNDERSCORE WITH THE REFED REPORT
WAS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS
THE IMPRINT OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
WAS SORT OF ALL OVER IT THE WAY
YOU WENT ABOUT IT.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE
THINGS BECAUSE FROM A DESIGN
PERSPECTIVE AND AN
IMPLEMENTATION PERSPECTIVE, IT'S
KIND OF UNUSUAL, AND I THINK
IT'S FUN TO HAVE BOTH OF YOU
HERE, BECAUSE YOU KIND OF TAKE
AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH, AND
NRDC IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A
TRADITIONAL KIND OF NGO,
NONPROFIT, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN
POLICY AND IN THE UNIFORM SECTOR
BUT WITH REFEDá--áLET ME GO
BACK.
LAST WEEK WITH MICHEL, WE GOT
INTO THIS TOPIC AROUND THE WORD
"CONSUMER" BECAUSE WE
FUNDAMENTALLY ARE FEELING LIKE
THE WORD "CONSUMER" MAY BE
OUTDATED.
IT REALLY INFERSá--áIT'S A
NONSUSTAINABLE CONCEPT AND IF WE
ALL THINK OF OURSELVES AS
CONSUMERS, WE'RE GOING TO BE
UNSUSTAINABLE SO AFTER THAT
CLASS, ONE OF MY OLD FRIENDS
ACTUALLY WROTE ME A NOTE AND
SAID THAT ALVIN TOFFLER THE
THIRD WAVE COINED A TERM
"PROSUMER" FROM HIS SORT OF
UTOPIAN IMAGE FROM THE FUTURE,
WHERE A PROSUMER WAS SOMEBODY
WHO WAS VERY MINDFUL, ENGAGED,
AND PLANNED A LOT AND WAS IN
SORT OF THE SOCIETY THAT WAS
MUCH MORE ABOUT RECIPROCITY AND
SHARING AND A LOT OF WHAT WAS
CREATED WAS INTENTIONALLY
PROVIDED FOR OTHERS ON MORE OF
AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
SO PEOPLE WERE INDIVIDUALS, BUT
COULD PROVIDEá--áBUT WERE LINKED
TO IT.
SO IT WAS KIND OF A ROOM FOR
PERSONAL KIND OF IDENTITY WITHIN
AN ECOSYSTEM OF INTERCONNECTION.
SO I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I
WANTED TO KIND OF PLANT THAT.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE REFED
REPORT, ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU
SHOWEDá--áYOU ASKED SARAH TO GET
ALL OF THESE LOGOS FOR YOU, BUT
REALLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF
THOUGHT INTO WHICH STAKEHOLDERS
NEEDED TO BE AT THE TABLE TO,
NUMBER 1, DELIVER REALLY GOOD
DATA AND, TWO, BE REPRESENTATIVE
OF SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE THE
IMPACT AND WOULD BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THAT DESIGN?
YOU JUST FLASHED ALL THOSE COOL
LOGOS UP THERE, BUT A LOT OF
THOUGHT WENT INTO WHO SHOULD BE
AT THE TABLE, RIGHT?
- RIGHT.
TALKING ABOUT COLLECTING LOGOS,
I THINK THAT WAS A JOKE AMONGST
OURSELVES, BUT IT WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO GET THE RIGHT
PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE AND FROM
DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITHIN THE SAME
INDUSTRY AND THE SAME SECTOR,
AND THEN DIFFERENT SECTORS, SO
EVEN WITHIN THE FOOD INDUSTRY,
THERE'S DIFFERENCES IN OPINION
OF HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM,
ANDá--áWHERE EVERYONE IS
UNDER
THE BIG TENT OF TRYING TO REDUCE
FOOD WASTE, THERE ARE COMPETING
OBJECTIVES, IF YOU DO A REALLY,
REALLY GOOD JOB OF REDUCING,
THEN YOU MAY THINK YOU HAVE LESS
TO RECOVER.
IF YOU DO SUCH A GREAT JOB IN
RECOVERING, THERE MAY BE LESS
THAT YOU CAN COMPOST AND USE
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION.
SO WE TRIED TO GET PEOPLE WHO
REPRESENTED ALL THE DIFFERENT
FACTIONS WITHIN ALL OF THAT, AND
QUITE FRANKLYá--áAND, SARAH DID
TRULY AN AMAZING JOB WITH
STAKEHOLDERS, AND DANA WAS ON
THOSE CALLS WITH THE ADVISORY
COUNCIL, AND THERE WERE SOME
HEATED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EVEN
HOW DO YOU MEASURE THIS, WHAT
ARE THE RIGHT METRICS?
WHAT ARE THE RIGHT GOALS THAT
YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO
ACCOMPLISH?
SO I THINK WE WERE VERY
DELIBERATE AND STRATEGIC ABOUT
WHO WE WANTED TO HAVE AROUND THE
TABLE.
AND IT JUST GREW, AND I THINK
ONCE WE GOT SOME PEOPLE AROUND
THE TABLE, AND THEY BELIEVED THE
CREDIBILITY OF WHAT THIS
INITIATIVE WAS, AND THAT IT
WASN'Tá--áTHERE WASN'T A SECRET
AGENDA THAT WAS HAPPENING, IT
ACTUALLY ATTRACTED MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE TO THE POINT THAT SINCE
WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE ROAD MAP A
YEAR AGO, THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
HAS GROWN, AND MORE PEOPLE WANT
TO BE PART OF THE MISSION.
- YOU HAVE THIS REALLY
INTERESTING PARADOXICAL ISSUE,
THAT IF YOU'RE REALLY SUCCESSFUL
WITH THE INITIATIVE, YOU PUT A
LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS.
BUT IT'S SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM
THAT THAT'S NOT REALLYá--á
- RIGHT.
- IT GETS TO THE POINT OF VIEW
THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE
IN THAT VALUE CHAIN, YOU'RE
COMPETING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.
I JUST FIND THAT INTERESTING.
EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE A CLASS HERE
AT HAAS IN THE MBA PROGRAM
CALLED E-VENTURE LAB WHERE TEAMS
GO AFTER, LOOKING AT FOOD
INSECURITY ON CAMPUS.
EVERY SEMESTER, THEY GO AFTER
THE FOOD WASTE ISSUE IN TERMS OF
REPURPOSING WASTED FOODS.
AND ALL OF THEM END UP AT ABOUT
WEEK 10 REALIZING HOW HARD IT
IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS FACT THAT
ALL OF THIS STUFF IS
GOINGá--áWHOLE FOODS IS THROWING
ALL
OF THAT.
DANA, YOU'VE LOOKED AT THAT.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE THAT
REPURPOSED?
WHAT'S BREAKING DOWN IN THE
SYSTEM THAT'S INHIBITING THAT
SOLUTION FROM GETTING
TO SCALE.
- THEY ARE ACTUALLY UNABLE TO
USE WHAT'S ON SITE.
WHEN YOU FIND WHAT FEELS LIKE A
LOT OF FOODá--áAND IT IS A LOT
OF FOOD, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT
EVERY DAY.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO REALLY BUILD
A BUSINESS ON, COMING OUT OF ANY
ONE PLACE, AND SO THEN YOU FIND
YOURSELF IN THE SITUATION WHERE
YOU'RE TRYING TO REACT TO A
SPONTANEOUS,
UNPREDICTABLEá--áONE OF OUR
STUDENTS HILLARI, ASKED HOW DO
YOU GET STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS PROBLEM.
SHE MENTIONED BERKELEY DOESN'T
HAVE COMPOST TRUCKS OR SERVICES
LIKE WE DO IN BERKELEY OR OTHER
TOWNS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO
INFLUENCE THAT COMMUNITY OR
POLICY?
DOES NRDC HAVE A BLUE PRINT FOR
THAT
- AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE
WORKING ON ONE, WILL.
AT BERKELEY, WE'RE REALLY LUCKY
TO HAVE CURB-SIDE COLLECTION
HERE, AS WE CALL IT.
NRDC, A SEPARATE PROJECT FROM
THE CONSUMER PROJECT HAS BEEN TO
LOOK AT WHAT CAN CITIES DO.
AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN CITIES
FOR THREE REASONS.
WE FIND THEM TO BE VERY
MOTIVATED ACTORS, ACTUALLY, AND
IF YOU GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE INTERESTED
IN THIS TOPIC, AND THAT'S
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A WASTE
PROBLEM.
OFTEN CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE
THE ONES IN CHARGE OF WASTE.
THEY HAVE A FOOD INSECURITY
PROBLEM.
SO IF SOME OF THAT FOOD COULD BE
RESCUED AND HELP ADDRESS THAT,
THAT'S OF INTEREST TO THEM, AND
THEY OFTEN HAVE CLIMATE GOALS.
AS YOU HEARD, THERE'S A BIG
CLIMATE IMPLICATION TO THIS
ISSUE, SO YOU CAN HIT ON ALL
THREE OF THE PAIN POINTS BY
LOOKING AT THIS AS A LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF
LOOKING AROUND THE COUNTRY TO
FIND BEST PRACTICES ON THIS.
AND IT'S CHALLENGING.
- ROLLING OUT A COMPOST PROGRAM
IS EXPENSIVE.
AND YOU'RE PUTTING EXTRA TRUCKS
ON THE ROAD.
YOU NEED A FACILITY.
YOU NEED INFRASTRUCTURE TO
ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT
STUFF, AND IDEALLY, YOU HAVE A
MARKET AT THE END THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT
COMPOST.
AND ON THE COMPOSTING SIDE, IT'S
SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING
PRETTY RAPIDLY, BUT, YOU KNOW,
IT JUST TAKES THE RIGHT SET OF
THINGS COMING INTO PLAY, AND A
LOT OF IT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO
FUNDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE,
UNFORTUNATELY.
- HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT ANY
KIND OF A COUNTER.
WHEN YOU GO TO NEW YORK AND YOU
SEE THE BIG BILL BOARD IN TIMES
SQUARE WITH THE NUMBERS.
IT SAYS LIKE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY
THE PRESIDENT SPENT ON GOLFING
IN THE LAST 17 DAYS.
IS THERE A WAY TO CAPTURE THIS
AND KIND OF PUT IT BACK IN
PEOPLE'S FACES THAT WE'RE EITHER
MAKING PROGRESS OR THAT, YOU
KNOW, MAYBE BOTH SIDES OF THE
EQUATION, THE AMOUNT OF FOOD
THAT'S BEING WASTED TODAY OR THE
AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT'S BEING
RECOVERED.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MORE WAYS
WITH THE AD COUNCIL TO
COMMUNICATE THAT.
- I THINK YOU COULD DO IT AT
THE DINING ROOM LEVEL OR
UNIVERSITY LEVEL OR AT A
MUNICIPAL LEVEL BY EVEN TRACKING
THE POUNDS OR TONS OF ORGANIC
WASTE THAT'S GOING INTO THE LAND
FILL.
THERE'S A LOT OF LEVERS THAT
NEED TO BE PLAYED WITH.
WHEN BETSY AND I WERE IN
NOGALES, THEY HAD THE BEST
INTENTIONS.
THE FOOD BANK RECOVERED, YOU
KNOW, YOU SAW THE WAREHOUSE
FILLED WITH TOMATOES, THEY
COULDN'T DISTRIBUTE ALL OF IT,
AND SO THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING.
SO THEY STARTED SENDING IT TO
THE COMPOST FACILITY.
IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE TO DELIVER
IT TO THE COMPOST FACILITY THAN
IT WAS TO GO TO THE LAND FILL.
SO THERE'S ECONOMICS THAT NEED
TO BE ADJUSTED HERE TOO.
LAND FILL, YOU KNOW, TRUCKERS
WOULD PROBABLY SAY LAND FILL IS
EXPENSIVE BUT THE REAL
EXTERNALITIES OF THE LAND FILL
IS NOT CAPTURED.
THAT'S TALKED ABOUT IN THE REFED
REPORT, AS TIPPING FEES TO LAND
FILLS GO UP, PEOPLE WILL BE MORE
CREATIVE IN WAYS TO AVOID IT.
- THEY'D HAVE TO PAY FOR THE
MESSY OFFSET THAT WAS COMING OUT
OF THE LAND FILL AND FACTOR THAT
INTO THEIR COST.
IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT COST.
- YES, IF THERE WAS A COST TO
THAT.
- YEP.
- OKAY.
- I WILL SAY THIS, TOO, AGAIN,
BEING DOWN IN NOGALES AND SEEING
THESE HUGE TRACTOR-TRAILERS, YOU
REALIZE WHAT AN INCREDIBLE,
EFFICIENT FOOD SYSTEM WE HAVE,
GETTING IT FROM THE FARM TO THE
CONSUMER, WHETHER IT'S THE
RESTAURANT OR THE SUPER MARKET.
VERY EFFICIENT.
WE'RE NOT VERY EFFICIENT IN
TAKING IT FROM THE VARIOUS
DIFFERENT PLACES AND DOING
SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT, AND
THAT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON.
SO A DONATION TRANSPORTATION,
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, YOU
KNOW, THINK OF AN UBER TYPE.
A COMPANY IN BOSTON CALLED
SPOILER ALERT, THAT'S WHAT
THEY'RE DOING.
IF A COMPANY HAS A PALLET OF
BRUSSEL SPROUTS OR POTATOES,
THEY CAN USE THE SPOILER ALERT
SYSTEM AND A FOOD BANK OR
NONPROFIT CAN TAKE IT AND DO
SOMETHING WITH IT.
IT'S SO LOCALIZEDá--áTHE FOOD
WASTE ISSUE IS SO LOCALIZED THAT
IT IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM WE HAVE
BUT A LOT OF THESE NEEDS TO BE
SOLVED FROM THE LOCAL LEVEL AND
DELIVERY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
STANDPOINT.
- ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED
JESSE TO COME SPEAK TO YOU.
YOU'VE GOT A FEEL FOR THE
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES HE HAS TO
SOLVE A PROBLEM.
HE STARTS WITH A BACKGROUND IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE IN
FORESTRY AND HIS EDUCATION, AND
THEN HE GETS SWEPT INTO THE
REALM OF THE INTERNET AND
TECHNOLOGY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP,
YOU KNOW, HAS AN AMAZING
EXPERIENCE THERE, AND THEN YOU
STARTED LOOKING AT IMPACT
INVESTING, INVESTING WITH YOUR
TRIANGLE OF OBJECTIVES, AND THEN
KIND OF CATALYTIC VENTURE
PHILANTHROPY.
IT'S FASCINATING TO ME THE WAY
THE REPORT KIND OF EVOLVED AND
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU TALKED
ABOUT WAS AS A FUNDER, THE SEED
FUNDER, YOUR FAMILY, YOU
REALIZED THAT THROUGH YOUR
VENTURE CAPITAL EXPERIENCE THAT
IT WOULD BE BEST TO SYNDICATE
THIS OPPORTUNITY, SO YOU WENT
OUT AND USED THE OLD PRINCIPLE
OF OPM.
HOW MANY BUSINESS SCHOOL
STUDENTS HERE DO WE HAVE?
WHO KNOWS WHAT OPM IS?
ANYBODY?
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS?
OKAY.
I'LL TELL YOU.
THIS WILL BE ON THE FINAL, WHICH
WE'RE NOT HAVING.
BUT FOR ALL OF YOU AT HOME, IT
MEANS "OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY."
IT'S A ENTREPRENEURIAL CREDO.
YOU PUT YOUR OWN SKIN IN THE
GAME TO SHOW YOU'RE COMMITTED
BUT YOU USE OTHER PEOPLE'S
MONEY.
THERE'S A REASON YOU DO THAT, A
LOT OF REASONS.
YOU CREATE LEVERAGE, BUT IT ALSO
HELPS YOU VALIDATE THAT IF OTHER
PEOPLE WILL HELP PUT THEIR MONEY
IN AND GO ALONG WITH YOU, IT
MIGHT MEAN THAT YOU'RE ONTO
SOMETHING AND THEN, AGAIN, THE
SORT OF EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND
CREDIBILITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT
INVEST WITH YOU HELPS TO
CONFIRM, AND AS WE KNOW, THOSE
OF US THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE
ENTREPRENEURIAL ZONE, SOME OF
THIS BECOMES A LITTLE BIT OF A
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
WE HAVE A VISION OF WHERE WE
WANT TO GO BUT WE'RE BRINGING
PEOPLE ALONG WITH US.
WITH THIS FOOD WASTE ISSUE, IT'S
A SYSTEMS ISSUE, IT HAS A LOT OF
DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, AND IT
NEEDS A LOT OF COORDINATION.
SO I THINK WHAT SARAH DID AND
THE WHOLE TEAM DID IS REALLY
ENVIABLE AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU
WILL TAKE A REALLY GOOD LOOK AT
THE REFED REPORT.
MAYBE YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF WORDS
OF ADVICE FOR STUDENTS.
WE HAVE FRESH MEN HERE, GRADUATE
STUDENTS, AND ACTUALLY, THEY'RE
HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING
CREDIT.
IT'S NOT THAT JUST BE OUT
ANYWHERE TONIGHT.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY TAKING THIS
CLASS.
SO THEY'RE VERY DEDICATED.
WHAT DID YOU STUDY?
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE NOW,
IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO MAKE A
DENT IN, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF
PURPOSE-DRIVEN ISSUE AROUND
FOOD.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR
STUDENTS, AND WHAT INTERNSHIPS
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE OPEN THIS
SUMMER?
[LAUGHTER]
- TURNS OUT, I'M NOT GOING TO
BE WORKING THIS SUMMER.
- OOH, WELL, THEN YOUR JOB WILL
BE AVAILABLE.
[LAUGHTER]
- I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, WHEN
WILL ASKED ME TO COME, I SAID,
I'M PREGNANT.
HE SAID, DON'T WORRY, MY WIFE IS
AN OB, AND SHE'LL BE HERE, SO IF
ANYTHING HAPPENS, YOU'LL BE IN
GOOD SHAPE.
SO I STUDIED SOMETHING ACTUALLY
CALLED EARTH SYSTEMS, AND IT WAS
A COMBINATION OF ECONOMICS AND
EARTH SCIENCES.
I FOCUSED ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO
GO THAT ROUTE FOR A WHILE, AND I
GOT INTO FOOD AFTER BIKING
AROUND ASIA FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND
LANDING ON A SUBSISTENCE FARM
WITH A FAMILY WHERE THERE WAS
KIND OF A PROGRAM AROUND IT AND
I REALLY GOT TO SEE HOW THE
GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY WAS
AFFECTING THESE PEOPLE IN THE
INDIAN HIMALAYAS, AND IT GOT ME
VERY INTERESTED IN FOOD AND
FEELING LIKE, WOW, WHAT AN
INTERESTING INTERSECT BETWEEN
BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY AND
ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL
THINGS.
THAT GOT ME INTERESTED AND I
CAME BACK WANTING TO WORK IN THE
FOOD INDUSTRY WITH NO EXPERIENCE
AND IT ACTUALLY TOOK ME QUITE A
WHILE TO BREAK IN.
- WHAT WAS THAT LIKE, TO BREAK
IN.
- IT WAS SLOW.
AND THE FUNNY THING ABOUT
GETTING A JOB IS EVERYONE WANTS
TO HIRE SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE
IN IT ALREADY, WHATEVER IT IS,
THEY WANT EXPERIENCE ALREADY.
IF YOU HAVE THAT ONE-WEEK
INTERNSHIP PROJECT, SOMETHING
YOU DID ON A CONTRACT THAT MAKES
IT LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE SOME
EXPERIENCE IN AN INDUSTRY, ALL
OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE WANT TO HIRE
YOU.
IT'S KIND OF IRONIC.
THAT'S WHAT I DID.
I GOT A SMALL GIG IN THE AVOCADO
AND WINE INDUSTRY DOING LITTLE
PROJECTS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I
HAD EXPERIENCE IN THE FOOD
INDUSTRY.
I THINK MY ADVICE IS TO TRY TO
GET EXPERIENCE OR A SKILL IN
KIND OF A SOLID OR TECHNICAL
PLACE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S
FOOD PROCUREMENT OR FARMING AND
AGRICULTURE OR SOMETHING.
IT'S MUCH EASIER TO GO FROM KIND
OF A MARKETABLE SKILL TO
SUSTAINABILITY THAN THE OTHER
WAY AROUND.
THAT'S KIND OF MY ADVICE FOR
STUDENTS WHEN THEY ASK ME ABOUT
THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S
MASS ORá--á--áMATHá--áYOU CAN
TAKE HARD SKILLS AND APPLY THEM
TO SO MANY CREATIVE PROBLEMS AND
I THINK A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE STRIVING TO GET INVOLVED IN
REFED AND NRDC ARE SUPPLY CHAIN
MANAGERS, COMPANIES, THE PEOPLE
BUYING THE FOOD AT SOME OF THESE
COMPANIES.
SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WE
REALLY WANT TO SEE ENGAGED IN
THE TOPIC, AND IT DOESN'T SOUND
AS, PERHAPS, EXCITING AS YOU'RE
LOOKING FORWARD TOWARD THE
CAREER BUT I THINK IT'S WHERE A
LOT OF THE CHANGE GETS MADE.
- SO HARD SKILLS, SOME
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.
- UH-HUH.
- GOING ON A FIELD TRIP MIGHT
BE A GOOD THING TO DO.
- DEFINITELY, FIELD TRIP.
NEVER MISS A FIELD TRIP.
- LET'S HAVE ONE QUESTION
BEFORE THE AUDIENCE BEFORE WE
ARE DONE.
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE THAT
YOU CAN RUN UP HERE, SOMEONE?
CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND.
- I WANT TO ADD.
- GO AHEAD.
- BEFORE A QUESTION, I WANT TO
ADD, ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY
IS WHEN BETSY AND I GRADUATED
FROM COLLEGE, THERE WERE REALLY
CLEAR DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE
FOR-PROFIT SECTOR, THE NONPROFIT
SECTOR, THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR.
AND I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THOSE
LINES ARE BLURRING RIGHT NOW AND
THAT INNOVATION IS HAPPENING
EVERYWHERE.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THAT
CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.
DANA IS AN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE
WORK SHE'S DONE AT NRDC IS
REALLY AMAZING.
THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAN HAPPEN
IN THE NONPROFIT AND THE
FOR-PROFIT.
IT CAN HAPPEN IN SMALL ENTITIES.
YOU COULD START YOUR OWN.
YOU COULD WORK FOR A LARGE
ENTERPRISE.
AND YOU COULD SWAP BACK AND
FORTH.
CHRIS, WHO JOINED US TWO WEEKS
AGO, HEAD OF THE NONPROFIT
INITIATIVE, CAME FROM THE
CORPORATE SECTOR, AND WAS
ENTREPRENEURIAL IN THAT SECTOR.
SO YOU COULD GO BACK AND FORTH.
SO THE CLEAR PATH OF HAVING A
JOB AND STAYING IN A PARTICULAR
THING I THINK IS GONE AND YOU
CAN SWAP BACK AND FORTH.
SO IF YOU KNOW THE PROBLEM THAT
YOU WANT TO SOLVE, YOU CAN GET
YOUR SKILLS, AS DANA AND WILL
SAID, GET YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS
AND JUST KEEP ADDING IT
THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER.
- GOOD ADVICE.
QUESTION HERE.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
- HELLO, MY NAME IS ALSO DANA,
SO NAMASTE, AND I'M AN
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MAJOR, SO
NAMASTE TO YOU JESSE AS WELL.
I BUY IN PRODUCE EVERY WEEK, AND
I GET THE BOX.
I KNOW THAT YOU REFERENCE IT A
LOT IN YOUR PLAN.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE ACTUAL, LIKE, COMPANY
OR NOT.
I BUY FROM THEM.
THEY HAVE AMAZING FRUITS AND
VEGGIES AND I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER
AT THE BERKELEY FOOD COLLECTIVE,
WHICH YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT, I
THINK YOU'D LIKE IT.
AND A BIG PART OF OUR MISSION IS
TO PROVIDE LIKE LOW-INCOME
PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON'T
HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY FOR LUNCH
WITH FRESH PRODUCE AND FRESH
FRUITS AND VEGGIES.
SO I'M WONDERING BY, LIKE ME, I
COULD WALK INTO WHOLE FOODS AND
PROBABLY COULD GET SOME FRUITS
AND VEGGIES THAT WOULD LAST ME A
WEEK.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRISON, LIKE
SOUP KITCHENS, NONPROFITS, WHO
NEED FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES
AND THOSE PEOPLE DON'T GET TO
EAT PRODUCE VERY OFTEN.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT NEEDS TO
CHANGE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM SO
THAT INSTEAD OF THESE TRUCKS OF
PRODUCE LITERALLY GOING INTO
LAND FILLS, WHY CAN'T WE GET ALL
OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT EAT
GARBAGE, BASICALLY, FROM THE
GOVERNMENT, WHY CAN'T WE GET
THEM FED.
- YOU'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT
THAT.
- YEAH, WELL, I'LL TELL YOU MY
KIND OF IDEAL ANSWER, WHICH
WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM, IS THAT I
THINK IN THE IDEAL WORLD, YOU
DON'T DESIGN A SYSTEM WHERE TO
FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE, YOU WAIT FOR
THAT FOOD TO GO THROUGH THE
SYSTEM AND GET REJECTED
SOMEWHERE AND THEN GET IT TO
THOSE PEOPLE.
I THINK IN THE IDEAL SYSTEM,
YOU'RE SO EFFICIENT THAT YOU
DON'T HAVE THAT EXTRA FOOD, AND
YOU PLAN IN IN A SEPARATE
CHANNEL A WAY TO FEED PEOPLE WHO
NEED IT.
THAT'S HOW I LIKE TO KIND OF
STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE
PROBLEM.
THE REALITY IS WE HAVE A LOT OF
GOOD FOOD THAT IS SURPLUS AND IT
WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THOSE,
PARTICULARLY THOSE IN NEED,
EATING IT.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW
DO WE GET IT TO THEM, SOME OF
THE TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS ARE
PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT TO
SOLVE.
YOU HAVE THESE PLACES WHERE
THERE'S ACTUALLY LARGE
QUANTITIES OF THIS STUFF AND
IT'S PRETTY FRESH.
SOME OF THE FOOD JESSE HAS SEEN
IN NOGALES PROBABLY HAS THREE
WEEKS OF SHELF LIFE YET, YET
IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO SEND IT ON
A REFRIGERATED TRUCK TO OHIO
WHERE THEY NEED IT, THAT IT
DOESN'T MAKE IT THERE.
SO FIGURING OUT THOSEá--áYOU
KNOW, I'VE HEARD IDEAS ABOUT
PRODUCE HITCHING A RIDE ON OTHER
PRODUCE TRUCKS.
THERE'S A LOT OF REFRIGERATED
TRUCKS GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY
THAT HAVE ONE OR TWO PALLETS OF
SPACE AVAILABLE.
IF SOMEBODY COULD SORT OF
MASTERMIND THAT IT CHALLENGE,
YOU KNOW, PRODUCE COULD HITCH A
RIDE AND THAT MIGHT HELP SOLVE
IT.
BUT IT UNFORTUNATELY COMES DOWN
TO ECONOMICS, AND I THINK WHEN
YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE
STRAIGHT ECONOMICS DON'T WORK,
THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT
POLICY SOLUTIONS.
COULD WE LOOK TO THE FARM BUILD
TO ACTUALLY FUND COLD
TRANSPORTATION OF PRODUCE TO
FOOD BANKS OR OTHER, YOU KNOW,
PUBLIC OR FOUNDATION MONEY TO
START TO FUND THOSE TYPES OF
THINGS.
- , YES, REALLY, THE PURPOSE OF
OUR TRIP TO NOGALES WAS TO TRY
TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WE KNEW THAT IT IS THE ONE PLACE
IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE MORE
PRODUCE IS COMING THROUGH, AND
WE KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE'S
A SMALL PERCENT OF WASTE,
THERE'S A FROM VOLUME OF WASTE.
AND THE WORK WE'VE DONE WITH
WHOLESOME WAVE, AND MICHEL, YOU
HEARD HIM LAST WEEK TALKING
ABOUT ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD,
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
IT'S BETSY'S VISION OF SORT OF
SAYING, HOW DO WE MAKE ALL THAT
HAPPEN IN AND FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES IS REALLY WATER.
SO WE'RE MOVING WATER.
IT LOOKS LIKE A TOMATO, BUT IT'S
REALLY WATER THAT'S BEING MOVED.
BETSY IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS
THERE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
WITH THOSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
TO THE POINT WHERE YOU COULD
STILL CHANGE AND IT'S STILL
HEALTHY.
IT'S A PROCESS THAT'S CHANGED
INTO A HEALTHY WAY, WHETHER IT'S
FROZEN, MAKE A SOUP OUT OF IT.
IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO
TRANSPORT IT.
YOU'RE NOT TRANSPORTING WATER
THE SAME WAY.
IT'S DEHYDRATED.
SO THERE'S INNOVATION THAT COULD
HAPPEN TO BE MOVING LARGE
QUANTITIES OF FOOD AND GET IT TO
THOSE IN NEED.
- SO THERE'S TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATION, THERE'S ECONOMIC
INNOVATION, AND POLICY
INNOVATION ALL AT WORK.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS CLASS
AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS.
THANKS FOR COMING TONIGHT.
A BIG HAND FOR DANA AND JESSE.
[APPLAUSE]
- AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
WITH SOME BERKELEY ALUMNI WHO
ARE MAKING A DENT IN FOOD
SYSTEMS INNOVATION.
- THANK YOU.