Feedback is an environmental organization headquartered in London, England. It works towards reducing food waste globally by collaborating with governments, international organizations, businesses and many other private and public institutions. Feedback’s efforts involve reforming policies in regard to food waste. The organization has succeeded in reaching millions of people and has changed the policies of some of the world’s largest food retailers and producers.
The environmental organization was conceived through the efforts of food waste activist and author Tristam Stuart. His book, “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal,” brought the issue of food waste to the forefront of mass media. Then, Stuart and the rest of the Feedback team launched its first major event, Feeding the 5000 in December 2009. Due to the extensive media coverage the event was a huge success and brought Feedback’s campaign from improving food conservation and recycling practices to reducing food waste globally.
According to Stuart’s book, enough to feed 3 billion people could be salvaged through waste reduction. A study conducted by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization found that about one third of the world’s food supply goes to waste per year. This adds up to approximately 1.3 billion ton annually. Feedback works to reverse these shocking statistics.
Now, Feedback has expanded its efforts into five umbrella campaigns: Feeding the 5000, Gleaning Network UK, The Pig Idea, Stop Dumping and the FSE Network. All of these campaigns work toward pressuring governments and businesses to reform their policies in order to end global food waste.
In order to mobilize support for reducing food waste globally, Feedback hosts many food-related events (all consisting of salvaged, but good quality produce) around the world. Recently, Feedback has organized several big Disco Chop Parties and Feeding the 5000 events in New York City and Washington D.C. These events offer huge feasts made of fresh, good quality produce, both feeding thousands of people and reducing food waste.
In order to implement these large-scale events, Feedback has partnered with many other food waste prevention and food conservation organizations worldwide. Recently, several Vermont based agricultural farms and institutions such as Harlow Farm, Salvation Farms and Pete’s Greens provided Feedback over half a million meals for its Feeding the 5000 event in New York City.
Additionally, Feedback is set to have another Feeding the 5000 event in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, May 18. In preparation for the event organization, The Campus Kitchens Project’s D.C. chapter is holding a Disco Chop Party on Tuesday, May 17. The party will involve 40 volunteers chopping salvaged vegetables for the event’s meals while jamming to funky fresh disco music. Feedback will also be partnering with other big scale global nonprofits, such as The Rockefeller Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and EPA as well as other various organizations and soup kitchens within the D.C. area.
– Jenna Salisbury
Photo: Flickr