Karen Weaver's Fight for Clean Water November 2017 | Page 29

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
In Washington D.C. an event called Feeding 5000 was hosted by a broad coalition
of organizations and businesses. There were paellas and curry dishes served to
anyone who happened by and wanted a plate. But what made this event so special
was that it created to raise awareness about how citizens can reduce food waste in
the city – and by extension in their own communities across the country.
We spoke with a local DC-based organization, DC Food Recovery Working
Group, a new coalition of local businesses, organizations and government agencies
to talk about the Food Recovery movement.
“Thirty percent of the food we produce winds up wasted,” said Josh Singer, one of
the co-leaders of the Working Group. “Not only is all this food in the dump bad for
the environment, but we have tremendous food insecurity right now. It doesn't
make sense that we are wasting so much food.”
Launched on December 30, 2015, the Working Group in comprised of more than
30 independent non-profit organizations, businesses, and government agencies
who decided to come together to create co-initiatives that focus on food recovery.
“Our biggest challenge is awareness,” says Singer. “For example, a lot of people
don't know that the 'sell by' and 'use by' dates on the groceries we buy aren't hard
and fast. Those foods can still be safely used in most cases. Also, a lot of people
think that restaurants and other commercials establishment are legally barred from
providing foods they'd otherwise throw away to organizations for reuse. That's a
huge misconception that's out there. So raising awareness and education are top
priorities for us.”
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