What does FWD mean in FOOD & NUTRITION

Food waste diversion is an approach that aims to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfills by diverting edible food to those in need or other reuse opportunities. It can involve rescuing surplus foods from grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses, or preventing wasted foods through composting, donation programs and redistribution strategies.

Food waste diversion matters because it helps to address both food insecurity, by distributing edible food to those who are food insecure, and environmental concerns since food waste contributes a large portion of the methane emissions associated with landfills. Additionally, redirecting edible food has financial benefits since sending inedible waste to landfill sites is costly.

Some common challenges of diverting food waste include addressing food safety concerns, properly packaging and storing perishable items that require cold storage, transporting the items if they are being diverted from one location to another, limited resources for recovery efforts (e.g., people power or funding), and managing the complexity of cross-sector partnerships between different parties involved.

There are many examples of successful food waste diversion programs including RescueFoodies which links businesses with local charities so produce can be donated before reaching its expiration date; Imperfect Produce which facilitates the sale and delivery of “ugly” produce at discounted prices; LeftoverSwap which matches users with others looking to give away their unfinished meals; Zero Percent which helps connect corporations wanting to donate excess products with non-profits needing these items; MealConnect which allows restaurants and other retailers to easily donate their excess prepared foods; Deconstructed Dishes which creates meals out of “rejected” individual ingredients; City Harvest which recovers surplus foods around New York City; as well as many more across the globe!

There are many ways you can get involved in a local food waste diversion program depending on your skillset! If you have a knack for marketing and communications then you could help create public awareness campaigns about reducing wasteful practices or utilizing existing resources differently. If you're knowledgeable about grant writing then you could help secure needed funding for a variety of projects related to this effort. You may also have contacts in the retail industry who can provide hard-to-obtain items such as groceries or cooking supplies for donation purposes. Alternatively, you could volunteer directly at a local charity focused on redistributing surplus foods or partner with them on special events collecting donations from retailers in your area.

Redirecting edible foods to people in need provides numerous benefits beyond simply alleviating hunger issues within low-income communities! It also reduces economic disparities highlighting how communities with higher poverty levels often face greater rates of malnutrition due to their limited access to healthy foods compared to wealthier areas. Additionally, it encourages others within our community recognize how seemingly small contributions like saving leftovers from our own kitchens can make substantial impacts when combined with collective action.

Not necessarily - reducing wasted foods through composting and donations is actually much simpler than most people think! For example compostable materials such as coffee grounds or fruit/vegetable scraps don't require any additional processing before being added into soil or used as fertilizer — all you need is an open space outdoors (e.g., backyard) where these items can be collect over time without taking up too much space indoors. As for donations, there are now numerous services available online such as Zero Percent for connecting corporate partners willing donors together with nonprofits that benefit from receiving these donations.