There are loads of organizations out there doing amazing work to fight food waste. Here are several of the largest ones that we believe are making a real dent in the issue–consider supporting them! Each one approaches food waste differently and each has arguably saved untold millions of pounds of food.
Food Rescue US (and/or your local food recovery organization!)
Food Rescue US uses an app to connect cafeterias, caterers, restaurants and others who have excess prepared food to nonprofits that can serve it to those in need. Volunteers shuttle the food from the original venue to where it will be served. The power of food recovery work to help the environment, feed people in need and build community is profound. Donate to Food Rescue US here. The photo at the top of this post is from a Food Rescue US pick up at a farmers market in Washington, DC–you can donate directly to the DC operation here.
While Food Rescue US is national and operates in a number of cities, some areas have stand-alone food recovery operations. Two that we know to be doing fantastic work are Community Food Rescue in Montgomery County, Maryland and A Simple Gesture in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Natural Resources Defense Council
This national nonprofit was among the first to spotlight food waste with a 2012 report finding that as much as 40 percent of food in the U.S. goes to waste. NRDC currently runs the Food Matters program, which funds food-waste fighting programming in select U.S. cities. Donate here.
ReFED
This national nonprofit exclusively focuses on food waste and generates some of the most current and most cited statistics on discarded food. ReFED brings diverse stakeholders together and focuses on data-driven solutions designed to maximize impact. Donate here.
World Wildlife Fund
Food waste contributes to habitat loss and climate change, which led the World Wildlife Fund to be a leading food-waste-fighting organization. WWF conducts research to help farmers, companies and consumers waste less; it also partners with food retailers and develops educational materials for schools. Donate here.
These are some of the largest nonprofits working on food waste, but loads more organizations are doing this important work! To learn about more groups working hard on food waste, and to search for those in your area, check out ReFED’s Solution Provider Directory. And if you think we missed any big names, email [email protected] and let us know!