Food Shift

SUMMARY: Food Shift is designing and launching a professional food recovery service sector that manages the collection and redistribution of surplus edible food from businesses to those in need. We are shifting the paradigm around food recovery from one that is charity-based to one that ensures financial sustainability and creates jobs.

PROBLEM SPACE: Food Shift is an Oakland-based nonprofit working with local communities, businesses and governments to develop long-term sustainable solutions to reduce food waste and build more resilient communities. The Bay Area is blessed with both agricultural and culinary abundance yet in San Francisco one in four residents don’t have enough nutritious food.

Food Shift is creating partnerships with food retailers, caterers and event producers so that food recovery is institutionalized as an integral part of corporate social responsibility. Professionalized food recovery decreases the amount of edible food entering Bay Area landfills and increases access to food to those who need it the most. We provide a high-touch, customized service tailored to each client and event. Food Shift’s model ensures food safety, organization and distribution of collected food to those in need.

SOLUTION: We envision the creation of a professional food recovery service sector as an extension of our current waste management system and as a way to create jobs in the green economy. Food alone isn’t enough to solve hunger, so our model aims to employ and economically empower individuals who have barriers to employment in the recovery and redistribution of food.

CONTACT PERSON: [email protected]