Calling all Food Waste Warriors: Free Film Screening + Food Waste Workshop

Area congregations, sustainability organizations tackle the problem of food waste

Forty percent of all food in the United States is wasted every year. In order to address this crucial issue, the Interfaith Green Network, in conjunction with several local sustainability organizations, is presenting two programs intended to help community residents become “Food Waste Warriors.”  

First, the community is invited to a FREE screening of the film, WASTED! THE STORY OF FOOD WASTE . This film aims to change the way people buy, store, cook, compost, and eat food. Through the the eyes of chef-heroes like Anthony Bourdain, Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences will see how the world’s most influential chefs make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps into incredible dishes that create a more secure food system. WASTED! exposes the tragedy of food waste and how it’s directly contributing to climate change. It shows us how each of us can make small changes – all of them delicious – to solve one of the greatest problems of the 21st Century. Immediately following the film there will be an audience discussion and food demonstration by the Sugar Beet Food Co-op.

The movie screening and food demonstration event is on January 22 at 6:30 pm at the Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room. The event is FREE, but registration is requested. To reserve a space visit:  https://tinyurl.com/yasuxuh8

Second, residents are invited to a Food Waste Workshop to learn about what is being done in Oak Park/River Forest to address the problem of food waste. Representatives from the OPRF Food Pantry (Food Rescue & Surplus Project), Seven Generations Ahead, Village of Oak Park, Oak Park River Forest High School, Green Community Connections, and more will share their knowledge and resources with participants who will learn actionable steps on how to make impactful changes in their lives and at home.

The Food Waste Workshop will be held on February 12 at 7:00 pm at the Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room. It is FREE, but registration is requested. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/ycp85yy7

“When we think about solutions to climate change, reducing food waste is not usually one of the first things that comes to mind,” said Sally Stovall, co-founder of Green Community Connections, “but recent research published in the book, DRAWDOWN (2017), ranked reducing food waste as the 3^rd most effective way to reverse climate change. No one likes to waste food, but in high income economies up to 35% of food is thrown out by consumers (that’s us)!  We can reduce food waste in our homes and communities significantly by adopting some simple strategies. Being a food waste warrior is a mindset and a skill. Like a muscle, it strengthens, as we use it!”

The Interfaith Green Network (IGN) is a faith-based sustainability initiative made up of 20 area congregations. Partnering with One Earth Film Festival, Green Community Connections, Seven Generations Ahead, OP/RF Food Pantry, Village of Oak Park, and Sugar Beet Co-op, IGN is working to help make residents more aware of the problem of food waste and how each of us can become part of the solution.