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PORTLAND – The Maine Food Waste Solutions Summit will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, April 14, via Zoom.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register online by April 7 to receive Zoom connection information.
Nearly 40% of food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, costing the country $285 billion in 2019. Nationwide, $5 million per day is spent on food that is wasted in schools. In Maine, 97% of food waste goes to landfills, contributing to pollution and climate change. Meanwhile, 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 5 children in Maine go hungry every day.
“Food waste is a major financial, social and environmental problem that impacts all Maine people, but the great news is that there are simple solutions,” said Susanne Lee, faculty fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine. “We host this free online event so that everyone can attend and learn to reduce wasted food.”
The summit brings together key food system participants — residents, farms, food businesses, charitable food partners, community leaders, nonprofits and state representatives — to learn about Maine’s food waste problem and solutions. This year’s keynote speakers are Claudia Fabiano from the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Food: Too Good To Waste” peer network and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, Maine-1st District, a leading sponsor of bi-partisan legislation to help end food waste. Linda Breggin and Margaret Badding from the Environmental Law Institute will also speak about the connection between food waste and climate change, and how communities can work to solve both at the same time.
The Maine Success Stories segment will recognize inspiring food waste initiatives across the state.
