Photograph by ArieStudio via Adobe Stock
According to Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative, nearly 60 million tons of food get thrown away every year—around 40 percent of all food produced. That’s why Green Umbrella is teaming up with Last Mile Food Rescue and Hamilton County ReSource to hold the Wasted Food Summit at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine on Wednesday, October 29. The summit is focused on creating awareness of food sustainability and providing paths for both advocates and businesses to tackle this issue head on.
There will be two keynote speakers at the summit: ReFED Executive Director Sara Burnett and Chef Alejandra Schrader, a previous contestant on MasterChef and author focused on zero-waste cooking. Other panelists include executives and representatives from companies and organizations like Kroger, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
“We have a wide range of experts who are going to be sharing insights throughout the day on how businesses can safely donate food … and how individual advocates can be part of the movement to help rescue food in our region,” says Charlie Gonzalez, the director of engagement and strategic partnerships at Green Umbrella.
Some of these experts come from Last Mile Food Rescue, a nonprofit logistics company that works with more than 300 food donors and 100 different agencies to distribute would-be wasted food to the public. Erik Hyden, the director of new business partnerships and food donations for Last Mile, is a speaker in one of the panels at the event. As well as being on the ground giving tours around the Queen City, Hyden hopes that the increased awareness of food donations and limiting food waste will help many organizations around the city.
“There are so many things we see when we turn on the news, and we see insurmountable problems,” says Hyden. “To be honest, it seems hard to help. But, with food insecurity, that is something that can be solvable.”
Thanks to the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the summit is the first of many events slated. Plans are in the works for an educational food waste series in 2026 and a follow-up summit in 2027, all led by Green Umbrella and Last Mile.
The Wasted Food Summit will take place at Memorial Hall on Wednesday, October 29, from 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m. with tours offsite before and after the event. Admission is $25.
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