Danielle Todd, Founder of Make Food Not Waste, Anti-Food Waste Advocate

Danielle Todd serves as the Director of Make Food Not Waste, a community program designed to inspire people to waste less food in the home. In this role, Danielle speaks on the issue of wasted food, conducts wasted food workshops, and leads the annual Community Feast, held in September at Eastern Market. A passionate advocate for food and the environment, Danielle is active in national initiatives related to food waste reduction. Danielle has 15+ years experience in both the for-profit and non-profit industries. She received an MBA from Wayne State University and a BA from the University of Michigan. Connect with her here.In this episode, Danielle:Shares her Story: Danielle lives in Detroit with her husband and children. She grew up on her grandparents’ produce farm in New Jersey. Food was important part of family life - cooking and gathering around the table for meals. Because it was such a strong influence in how she grew up, Danielle continued to learn as much as she could about food. A passionate environmentalist, she sought to make a career by making a positive impact in the food industry that would also benefit the environment.Describes how she became interested in advocating for the anti-food waste movement - Drawdown by Paul Hawken was instrumental in making Danielle feel that she could make a real difference in her community.Describes the Make Food Not Waste Event in Detroit - two years running with plans for 2020 already in the works!Points out the important facts to know about food waste - The most important thing to remember is that we are disrespecting the process of growing that food; we are wasting the resources that went into growing the food; food in landfills generates methane, the greenhouse gas.Invites us to cultivate respect for the labor required to make our food which would lead to less of a desire to waste it.Challenges us to think differently about food donation - donating food that someone else wants and not just what we don’t want to eat.Reports that we waste 40% of our food in America, with most of the waste coming from households. Restaurants are a close second.Tells us that we waste because of lack of time; because we don’t know how to cook; because food comes in bulk in the grocery store.Shares that the average American family wastes $2000 worth of food per year. Here are some methods to avoid wasting produce - freezing, preserving by canning or freezing, baking, roasting (especially wilting veggies), making stocks, making soups, and making smoothies.Schools us about expiration dates - They are inventory management dates for the stores, a way for the stores to keep track of the food in the store. Best by means that the food is at its optimal flavor, but has not gone bad. So, she invites us to use our sense to decide if the food is safe - the look and the smell.Tells us that avoiding waste saves money and is great for the environment; one of the few things we can do for the environment that saves us money. “You just have to use what you bought.”Encourages us to look at leftovers as an ingredient.Practical Tips:What really resonated with me in learning from Danielle is that we take responsibility and show respect for our food. I invite you to share ways that you use to avoid food waste. Connect with me on FB, IG, LinkedIN or email me at [email protected]