My friend Gin DeMaio from Green Team Academy asked me to be a presenter for their 2022 Global Earth Day Summit. I immediately said “yes!” My only issue was deciding what topic I wanted to present on…
After some reflection I decided to focus on food waste reduction as a climate solution because it’s something that all of us have an opportunity to do, every day (if we’re lucky enough to be food secure.) I also wanted to address the issue I sometimes see among environmentalists with “blaming and shaming” people about their food choices. Again, I feel this admonishment sometimes comes from a place of privilege. I prefer to encourage people to get as secure as possible themselves first, in all of the ways that’s necessary, including financial. My farmer friend Charlotte Wolfe from Prairie Winds Nature Farm signs every email with the reminder, “Hungry people are grouchy!”
So, first let’s work on just examining our food choices to see where there’s room for experimentation or improvement, whatever that means for you. And if food waste is generated, then please compost it rather than send it to a landfill.