>> Laura: HI EVERYONE AND WELCOME.

SO, WHEN I AM IN THE GROCERY STORE, I KIND OF OBSESS OVER THE PRODUCE, ESPECIALLY ALL THAT SUPER-EXPENSIVE PRODUCE AND I ALSO THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, LABOR, HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, C PATENTS, ALL OF THESE THINGS AND I THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY EVERYDAY.

AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WE WASTE SO MUCH FOOD.

SO, WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY.

HERE AT THE TABLE WE HAVE GOT SANDRA WEST, SUSTAINABLE WASTE SPECIALIST AT THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE, AMANDA RICH WITH THREE SISTERS KITCHEN AND ANTON BECKER STUMPF WITH THE SOUTHWEST ORGANIZING PROJECT.

THANKS AND WELCOME TO YOU ALL.

SO, SANDRA, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

THE CITY RECENTLY DID A STUDY THAT ESTIMATED 112,000 TONS OF FOOD IS WASTED EVERY YEAR JUST IN ALBUQUERQUE AND THAT 40% OF ALL FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES IS WASTED.

I KNOW THIS IS A BIG QUESTION BUT HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

ESPECIALLY WHEN FOOD IS SO EXPENSIVE AND PEOPLE ARE SO HUNGRY, WHERE IS THE DISCONNECT?

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR SOCIETY?

>> West: WELL, WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE INFORMATION LIKE THAT.

112,000 TONS COMES, THANKS TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNSEL.

THEY PUT THEIR CALCULATOR TO OUR AREA AND STARTED ESTIMATING BASED ON KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE GAINED IN OTHER CITIES.

AND THE 40% IS THANKS TO RESEARCH FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CULTURE AND REALLY THAT, ESPECIALLY THE 40% NUMBER FROM THE USDA, IS REALLY THAT THERE IS PLACES ALONG THE FOOD CHAIN, WHICH IDEALLY IS A CIRCLE INSTEAD OF A LINE -- WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ONE LATER.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN FOOD DOES NOT MAKE IT TO FEED PEOPLE AND THAT COULD BE THAT IT JUST WASN'T ABLE TO BE PICKED UP FROM THE FIELDS.

MAYBE IT WASN'T PRETTY ENOUGH.

MAYBE IT WASN'T THE RIGHT SIZE OR SHAPE.

THAT IS A BIG DEAL FOR GROCERY STORES, ESPECIALLY.

AND THEN THERE IS THE MAYBE IT GOT TO THE SHELF AND IT WASN'T RIPE AT THAT POINT.

MAYBE IT WAS TOO RIPE.

MAYBE IT GOT SQUISHED AT THE BOTTOM.

THERE ARE ALL THESE PLACES ALONG THE CHAIN WHERE FOOD SOMETIMES DOESN'T MAKE IT TO FEED PEOPLE.

IN OUR HOMES SOMETIMES IT IS STUCK AT THE BACK OF THE FRIG.

I HAVE BEEN THERE.

OR I TOTALLY THOUGHT THIS WOULD LAST IN THIS DRAWER FOR MUCH LONGER THAN IT ACTUALLY LASTED.

THOSE OPPORTUNITIES REALLY ARE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CHAIN ADD UP OVER TIME.

AND THEN RESTAURANTS AS WELL.

THERE IS FOOD THAT IS NOT EATEN ON THE PLATES WHICH ONCE IT IS PLATED IT CAN'T FEED PEOPLE.

IT CAN'T BE DIVERTED TO RESCUE.

SO, THERE IS LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES IS REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

AND FOR ALL OF US TO TAKE PART.

ALBUQUERQUE IS EXCITED TO PROVIDING RESOURCES ON OUR WEB PAGE TO HELP PEOPLE REDUCE WASTE WHICH ACTUALLY SAVES US MONEY BECAUSE IF I AM ABLE TO EAT THAT THING OF SPINACH BEFORE IT GOES BAD, THEN THAT IS CALORIES IN ME AND NOT -- BASICALLY THAT MONEY GOES TO FEEDING ME OR FEEDING MY FAMILY VERSUS GOING TO THE COMPOST OR PUT IN A LANDFILL IN THE WORST CASE.

THERE IS REALLY A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BE SUPPORTING THAT THROUGH OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN GOALS.

WE HAVE EIGHT GOALS THAT REALLY ARE AIMED AT THE FOOD SYSTEM AND THAT ALL OF THAT HELPS WITH GREENHOUSE GAS GOALS, THE MAYOR'S GOALS THERE, BECAUSE AT EVERY POINT WHEN THINGS ARE WASTED THAT IS GREENHOUSE GAS THAT IS COMING OUT AS WELL.

SO IT IS A REALLY EXCITING TIME TO BE AT THE TABLE WITH SUCH WISDOM, SUCH KNOWLEDGE AND TO BE HAVING THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.

>> Laura: YES.

WE ARE GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT SOLUTIONS AND WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE LATER AS WELL.

ANTON, SWAP HAS A REALLY LONG HISTORY OF WORKING ON FOOD JUSTICE ISSUES.

SPECIFICALLY IN OUR CITY, MAYBE, WHAT DOES FOOD JUSTICE LOOK LIKE?

>> Becker: I THINK IT LOOKS A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND SWAP HAS BEEN DOING A LOT.

WE ARE COMING ON OUR 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH PROJECT VIVA HOOD AND IT WAS REALLY STARTED WITH THE INTENTION OF PRIMARILY RAISING AWARENESS FOR FOLKS AND SORT OF RETURNING PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM.

THERE IS A LOT OF SORT OF RECOGNITION OF PEOPLE NOT KNOWING OR HAVING TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IT TAKES TO GROW FOOD, WHERE IT COMES FROM AND SORT OF THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE IN PLACE.

FOR US FOOD JUSTICE AND THE WORK WE DO HAS BEEN A LOT OF EDUCATION, A LOT OF WORK WITH YOUTH.

I MYSELF WAS A YOUTH AT A TIME THAT HAS KIND OF DEVELOPED INTO THIS ROLE THAT I AM AT NOW AND OUR PRIMARY APPROACH IS TO EDUCATE YOUNGER FOLKS, YOUNGER KIDS ON WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES AND PROVIDE SPACE AND RESOURCES WITHIN IMMEDIATE COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF RECLAIM THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR FOOD AND LAND.

>> Laura: YEAH.

ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT PROJECT VIVA HOOD SPECIFICALLY IS I LOVE THAT THERE IS SO MUCH A SENSE OF JOY AROUND IT.

LIKE WE TALK ABOUT LOTS OF HARD ISSUES ON THIS SHOW AND FOOD WASTE AND FOOD JUSTICE ARE VERY SERIOUS BUT THERE IS SO MUCH, LIKE, JOY AND COMMUNITY IN THAT.

>> Becker: YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL PARTS OF IT IS JUST GETTING FOLKS TO TOGETHER AND IN A SPACE WHERE FOOD IS GROWN.

I THINK THE WORK AND THE MESSAGE KIND OF SPEAKS FOR ITSELF WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY COLLABORATING ON SUSTAINING THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER.

>> Laura: AMANDA, THREE SISTERS KITCHENS DOES SO MUCH WORK AROUND LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS.

I KNOW THAT THIS QUESTION WILL SEEM REALLY OBVIOUS BUT WHAT IS THE HARM OF FOOD WASTE?

LIKE WHO IS HARMED?

>> Rich: YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW, AS SANDRA ALLUDED TO ON EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS, RIGHT, WE ARE LOSING NUTRIENTS THAT COULD BE IN THE BELLIES OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND ALSO IF IT ENDS UP AT THE LANDFILL, WE ARE CREATING INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF METHANE GAS WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS TO THE THREE SISTERS KITCHEN I WAS A FARMER.

I RAN A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PROJECT AND LEARNING CENTER AND ONE THING THAT I NOTICED IN THAT SMALL SCALE FARMING IS WE HAD ALMOST ZERO WASTE AND THAT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE A COMMUNITY GATHERED AROUND A FARM AND SO THERE REALLY WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOOD PRESERVATION ON EVERY LEVEL OR THE REDISTRIBUTION TO FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WE KNEW WOULD USE THE FOOD.

I THINK THAT ONCE THE FOOD LEAVES THE FARM AND THEN GOES INTO, YOU KNOW, THE INDUSTRIAL MACHINE THAT IS LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION, FOR PRODUCTS, THERE IS A CERTAIN OF AMOUNT OF WASTE BECAUSE ITEMS DON'T FIT THE STANDARD.

EITHER THEY ARE NOT PRETTY ENOUGH FOR THE GROCERY STORE SHELVES OR THEY WON'T BE CUT INTO A PICKLE IN THE CORRECT MANNER SO THOSE PIECES ARE TOSSED.

SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.

I THINK ESPECIALLY IN THE CULTURE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN, YOU KNOW, TODAY, THERE IS A LOT OF CONSUMERISM, WHERE WE ARE -- IT MAY BE AT THE LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT WHERE PROCUREMENT ISN'T TIGHT ENOUGH AND SO FOOD IS GETTING WASTED ON THE BACK END OF RESTAURANT OR MAYBE IT'S A GROCERY STORE SETTING WHERE PEOPLE ARE PURCHASING THINGS THEY DON'T END UP EATING, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT FOOD JUSTICE AND FOOD INSECURITY WITHOUT REALLY LOOKING AT THE BIGGER SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.

WE ARE IN A SITUATION RIGHT NOW WITH A HUGE WEALTH DISPARITY AND A HOUSING CRISIS AND PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCTS OR TO BE ABLE TO COOK FRESH FOOD OR PURCHASE FRESH FOOD AND THAT IS WHERE AT THREE SISTERS KITCHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FOOD ACCESS PIECE BUT ALSO THE ECONOMIC JUSTICE PIECE AND HOW CAN WE BRING OUR COMMUNITY UP COLLECTIVELY SO THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY ACCESS ALL OF THIS FOOD THROUGH OUR REFRESH PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE PURCHASING FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMERS AND WE'RE GIVING IT TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS LIKE SOUTHWEST ORGANIZING PROJECT AND TOGETHER FOR BROTHERS.

THEY ARE IDENTIFYING FAMILIES THAT ARE FOOD INSECURE AND WE ARE CREATING A SYSTEM OF GATHERING THOSE FOODS FROM LOCAL GROWERS AND DISTRIBUTING IT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND I THINK THAT ON THE BACK SIDE WE ARE TRYING TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW ARE WE USING SCRAPS TO TURN THEM INTO BROTH OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN WE ARE ALSO PILOTING THIS PROJECT WITH THE CITY IN EXPLORA TO THINK ABOUT WASTE AND REALLY CONSCIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT OUR PACKAGING AND HOW OUR PURCHASES ARE AFFECTING THIS LARGER SYSTEM.

BUT I THINK THAT THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION REALLY HAS TO BE COUCHED IN THE LARGER ISSUE OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE.

AS WE KNOW, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF NOT ENOUGH FOOD.

IT IS A MATTER OF FOOD CONTRIBUTION.

>> Laura: SO, SANDRA, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE CITY STUDY.

LOOKING AT THAT STUDY, WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS?

IS IT GROCERY STORES, BIG BOX STORES, LIKE, WHO IS WASTING ALL THIS FOOD?

>> West: GREAT QUESTION.

AND THANKS TO THE NRDC, THEY FOUND THAT THE TWO BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO FOOD WASTE IN OUR METRO AREA ARE ESTIMATED TO BE RESIDENTS AND RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS KIND OF LUMPED INTO ONE CATEGORY.

THAT CAN BE KIND OF SURPRISING ESPECIALLY WHEN WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT GROCERY STORES BEING SUCH BIG CONTRIBUTORS TO FOOD WASTE.

AND SO WE TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BE DOING FOOD SCRAP PILOT WITH THREE SISTERS KITCHEN TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCESSIONS LEVEL.

THEY HAVE A CONCESSIONS AT EXPLORA OF FOOD WASTE DIVERSION AND PREVENTION.

AND WE HAVE LARGER COMMERCIAL SCALE KITCHEN THAT DOES 1100 MEALS A DAY.

SO WE REALLY GET THE UNDERSTANDING AT TWO VERY DIFFERENT SCALES.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

WHAT DOES IT COST?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN TERMS OF THEW PROCESSES?

WHAT IS DOABLE AND STILL MAINTAINING FOOD SAFETY.

SO WE ARE EXCITED TO BE DIVERTING ITEMS TO BE COMPOSTED AT BOTH OF THOSE SITES AND LEARNING A LOT FROM THEM ON ABOUT TOOLS WE CAN USE THROUGH HELPING RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS AS WELL AS WHAT THE NEXT STEPS COULD BE AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE THERE.

THIS IS WHERE, FOR THE RESIDENTS SIDE, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT REALLY EXPANDING THE WEBSITE WITH TOOLS AND NRDC HAS BEEN A GREAT HELP THERE.

MY FAVORITE TOOL ON THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW WHICH IS CABQ.GOV/FOODWASTE, NO SPACES, IS THE REFRIGERATOR DEMYSTIFIED.

IT HAS A FUN DIAGRAM AND REFERRED TO THE WHOLE LOSING SOMETHING AT THE BACK OF THE FRIG EARLIER, THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR FIGURING OUT WHERE THE FRIG TO PUT THINGS, TO REALLY HAVE THE BEST SHELF LIFE FOR THEM ONCE YOU BRING THEM HOME.

BECAUSE NOT ALL OF US SHOP AND ARE ABLE TO PREP ALL OF THOSE ITEMS THAT DAY.

AND THAT IS TOTALLY REASONABLE.

THAT HAS HELPED ME CHANGE HOW I PUT THINGS IN THE FRIG AND THERE IS LOTS OF EASY THINGS THAT ARE VERY LOW LIST, LIKE HAVING A LITTLE TRAY IN THE FRIG THAT IS EAT ME FIRST.

IF YOU FIND SOMETHING, THAT IS GOING BAD, PUT THAT IN THE SPACE WHERE EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSEHOLD KNOWS EASILY THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO EAT FIRST BEFORE IT GOES BAD.

AND THERE IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT SPRING AND SUMMER PRODUCE STORAGE GUIDE THAT IS VERY DETAILED BASED ON EACH OF THE MAIN ITEMS THAT ARE COMING OFF OF THE FIELDS AT THIS TIME AND HOW TO BEST STORE THEM AND HOW MUCH SHELF LIFE YOU SHOULD EXPECT WHEN YOU BRING HOME.

SO THERE IS LOTS OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US ALL TO SAVE MONEY AND HELP OUT WITH THAT PIECE.

AND SO WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THOSE SIDE OF THINGS.

GROCERY STORES, WE ARE EXCITED REVISITING THAT ONE.

ONE OF THE REASONS THEY ARE LIKELY NOT AS HUGE A CONTRIBUTOR IS THAT THEY ARE A CENTRAL LOCATION, ESPECIALLY THOSE BIGGER STORES, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO ROADRUNNER FOOD BANK AND THEY ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AT PULLING ITEMS FROM THOSE BIGGER PLACES TO REDISTRIBUTE THEM.

AND SO WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE BOTH THE ORGANIZATIONS AT THE TABLE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE METRO AREA DOING THIS WORK.

>> Laura: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.