Food Loss and Waste
Supporting Food Waste Solutions for Businesses and Communities Through Education, Movement Building, Thought Leadership and Technical Assistance
Our programs and initiatives promote less-wasteful, money-saving practices among farms, manufacturers, retailers, food service and other business and institutional stakeholders in the food system. We’re unlocking economic and environmental value for local communities and industries, identifying reuse options, donation strategies, funding sources, and secondary markets while scaling landfill diversion and organic recycling solutions.
How to Save A Million Tons of Food and Food Scraps
Michigan disposes of 1.5 to 2 million tons of food waste through just its municipal and commercial waste streams each year, the single largest source of material disposed of in the state’s landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. Approximately one billion dollars of economic value is lost across just Michigan’s farms and food manufacturers due to unharvested crops, production inefficiencies, product shrinkage, and supply chain challenges. Michigan businesses waste enough to feed every food-insecure family in the state.
How to Safely Recover and Donate Food in Michigan
This guide provides practical guidance for Michigan food businesses to safely and legally donate surplus food, instead of discarding it. It is designed for real-world use in kitchens, food service operations, and production environments. Donated food helps strengthen local food systems and supports organizations working to reduce hunger across our state while keeping valuable resources like water, energy, and labor from being wasted.
Current Initiatives
How the Forum is Working to Prevent Food Loss and Waste
Join Our Community of Practice
The Forum is leading or supporting a rotating portfolio of initiatives and coalitions to advance food loss and waste prevention and organics recycling. If you’re a business or community leader, let us know how we can support your goals.
Find case studies, success stories, analysis, insights and explainers from across the Forum below. Or visit us at our next event.
