New Initiatives Aim to Reduce Wasted Food
By Taylor Lunka
AUSTIN, Texas- Our last day in the Lone Star State, Friday, May 30, was full of interviews with people who represented different points of view in the food equation.
Dr. Michael Webber, a University of Texas at Austin engineering professor with whom we met the previous day, recommended that we talk to Amanda Cuellar, a doctoral student who worked helped produce a report on how much energy is lost in food waste.
We were fortunate to find a mutually convenient time to meet up with Amanda, who had actionable advice about food waste for the average American consumer.
“I don’t think you can eliminate it 100 percent,” Amanda said. “But people can be more conscious.”
After we interviewed Amanda, Professor Wells took us to Frank in downtown Austin, a local eatery where we had a delicious lunch of hot dogs, waffle fries, and beverages served Texas-style -- in large mason jars.
In the afternoon, we sat down with Edwin Marty, the food policy manager for the City of Austin. Before joining the city, Marty was executive director at E.A.T. South, an organization based in the Southeast U.S. that encourages healthy lifestyles, consumer education and sustainable food production in urban areas. Also in his past, Marty was founder of the Jones Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham, Ala.
During our discussion, Marty discussed the importance of food waste and why people should care about it.
“Food waste is inconceivable,” Marty said. “The idea of throwing away is horrifying.”
To help consumers connect better with the food they eat, Marty suggests that people should turn to urban agriculture, making average people co-producers in the food system.
We ended the day by interviewing Rachel Smith, co-founder of an Austin start-up called Halfsies, a social initiative that aims to connect food waste, hunger and excess food. The concept is simple: At participating restaurants, diners can choose to go “Halfsies,” which means they will receive half of normal portions while still paying retail price. Then, half of the full price is donated to support programs that work to reduce hunger.
Smith, a registered nurse by profession, came up with the idea because overly large restaurant portions angered her. After several years of merely thinking about the idea, Smith decided to take action and start her own non-profit with the mission of targeting health and hunger issues.
“There’s a way we can empower individuals by giving them a choice,” Smith said. “It’s not that there’s an excess of food being produced. It’s the resources that have not been used efficiently.”
Smith said later this month, several Austin area restaurants will feature the “Halfsies” option. The ultimate goal is for Halfsies to catch on and spread across the country.
Our next stop is Iowa, where we are scheduled to talk to several farmers about food production practices. Stayed tuned for adventures from the Midwest!
By Taylor Lunka
AUSTIN, Texas- Our last day in the Lone Star State, Friday, May 30, was full of interviews with people who represented different points of view in the food equation.
Dr. Michael Webber, a University of Texas at Austin engineering professor with whom we met the previous day, recommended that we talk to Amanda Cuellar, a doctoral student who worked helped produce a report on how much energy is lost in food waste.
We were fortunate to find a mutually convenient time to meet up with Amanda, who had actionable advice about food waste for the average American consumer.
“I don’t think you can eliminate it 100 percent,” Amanda said. “But people can be more conscious.”
After we interviewed Amanda, Professor Wells took us to Frank in downtown Austin, a local eatery where we had a delicious lunch of hot dogs, waffle fries, and beverages served Texas-style -- in large mason jars.
In the afternoon, we sat down with Edwin Marty, the food policy manager for the City of Austin. Before joining the city, Marty was executive director at E.A.T. South, an organization based in the Southeast U.S. that encourages healthy lifestyles, consumer education and sustainable food production in urban areas. Also in his past, Marty was founder of the Jones Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham, Ala.
During our discussion, Marty discussed the importance of food waste and why people should care about it.
“Food waste is inconceivable,” Marty said. “The idea of throwing away is horrifying.”
To help consumers connect better with the food they eat, Marty suggests that people should turn to urban agriculture, making average people co-producers in the food system.
We ended the day by interviewing Rachel Smith, co-founder of an Austin start-up called Halfsies, a social initiative that aims to connect food waste, hunger and excess food. The concept is simple: At participating restaurants, diners can choose to go “Halfsies,” which means they will receive half of normal portions while still paying retail price. Then, half of the full price is donated to support programs that work to reduce hunger.
Smith, a registered nurse by profession, came up with the idea because overly large restaurant portions angered her. After several years of merely thinking about the idea, Smith decided to take action and start her own non-profit with the mission of targeting health and hunger issues.
“There’s a way we can empower individuals by giving them a choice,” Smith said. “It’s not that there’s an excess of food being produced. It’s the resources that have not been used efficiently.”
Smith said later this month, several Austin area restaurants will feature the “Halfsies” option. The ultimate goal is for Halfsies to catch on and spread across the country.
Our next stop is Iowa, where we are scheduled to talk to several farmers about food production practices. Stayed tuned for adventures from the Midwest!
