Food waste is a systemwide problem, which means it will take systemwide action to solve it—no single sector, organization, or individual can tackle it alone. From farmers and manufacturers to retailers, restaurants, foodservice companies, and policymakers, each plays a crucial role in identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions, especially when they work together to magnify their impact.
That’s why ReFED is dedicated to providing opportunities for food waste practitioners to come together to align goals and avoid duplication of efforts, share knowledge and best practices, and establish mutually beneficial collaborations that can overcome barriers and accelerate progress.
From affinity groups to virtual and in-person events, we’re helping to cultivate and connect the food waste community, building momentum and a sense of shared responsibility that can lead to more effective and scalable solutions.
Networks
Find your place in the fight against food waste in one of ReFED’s networks. Serving as platforms for like-minded organizations and individuals to connect and collaborate, members gain access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and the latest research and insights to amplify their waste reduction efforts and drive meaningful change.
Networks
Food Waste Funder Circle
ReFED’s Food Waste Funder Circle is a special network designed exclusively for private, public, and philanthropic funders interested in using their capital to solve food waste challenges. Featuring a curated platform for funder education, collaboration, and investment—with regular programming including pitch events, networking sessions, deal flow reports, and more— membership is free and open to both individual funders and representatives from funder organizations.
Policy Collaborations
Policy is a powerful tool in reducing food waste, because it can set the regulations, provide the incentives, and promote the transparency required to drive systemic change across the food supply chain. ReFED serves as an educational resource for policymakers and those who engage with them to better understand the extent and impacts of food waste, as well as the most effective solutions for addressing it.
Policy Collaborations
Zero Food Waste Coalition
Along with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, Natural Resources Defense Council, and World Wildlife Fund, ReFED is a founding member of the Zero Food Waste Coalition, a collaborative effort among government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and communities dedicated to eliminating food waste across the United States. By promoting policies, sharing best practices, and supporting innovative solutions, the Zero Food Waste Coalition works to reduce the economic, environmental, and social impacts of wasted food—all while driving progress toward the national goal to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030. As of December 2024, the Coalition boasts more than 250 members across 45 states.
Federal Agency Partnerships
Since 2018, ReFED has increased efficiency by aligning its efforts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (opens in a new tab), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (opens in a new tab), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab), building connections between each organization’s respective networks, advancing data collection and measurement, identifying new cross-sector collaboration opportunities, and more. We also use our channels to amplify messaging from these agencies—including providing a platform at the 2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit in Baltimore for then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to announce the release of the first National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.
Events
Throughout each year, ReFED hosts a range of virtual and in-person gatherings—including our flagship ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit—leveraging our convening power to foster connections and collaboration, share insights and inspiration, and keep people talking.
Events
Food Waste Solutions Summit
The ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit is the premier food waste event of the year, bringing together hundreds of thought leaders, decision-makers, advocates, and more for three days of insights, inspiration, and action. Featuring mainstage sessions, breakouts, workshops, screenings, happy hours, dinners, creative activations, and more—plus extensive networking time built into the agenda—the Summit is all about harnessing the power of collaboration to drive progress.
"The Summit is all about momentum. We make sure that every detail—from the speakers to the sessions to the breaks in-between—keeps the food waste discussion moving forward. Our goal is for people to go home with ideas and connections that can ignite their work for the rest of the year."
Dana Gunders
President, ReFED
Events
Thought Leader Webinar Series
Our thought leader webinar series explores food waste from all angles. Featuring food system leaders, subject matter experts, and sustainability practitioners with real-world expertise, we offer a well-curated mix of topics that get conversations started and keep people talking.
Featured Webinars
Webinar
Making Sense of Food Date Labels
Featuring the researchers behind a survey showing how consumer confusion around date labels has grown, this webinar highlights key findings from this new research, as well as actions that are being taken by food businesses and state governments to address the issue.
Webinar
Appetite for Change: What GLP-1s Might Mean for Food Waste
GLP-1 drugs significantly impact eating habits and have broad implications for the food industry. And their influence is only expected to grow. Hear what GLP-1s are, their potential impacts on food businesses, and how they may impact food waste.
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