Two Good, a yogurt brand of White Plains, N.Y.- and Broomfield, Colo.-based Danone North America, said it teamed up with James Beard Award-winning Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Full Harvest this Earth Week to kick off a movement that highlights the critical role that food waste plays in our collective relationship with the climate and our stewardship of the planet. The partnership invites restaurants across the country to use rescued produce in their kitchens — a response to the reality that food waste is one of the single greatest contributors to climate change.
In the United States, 35% of the 229 million tons of available food went unsold or uneaten in 2019, Two Good said. By supplying restaurants with produce that would have otherwise been wasted and turning them into award-winning dishes, the campaign aims to help restaurants to make sustainable choices and normalize the consumption of otherwise wasted food at large.
Spearheading the campaign is Samuelsson, who will use rescued produce from Full Harvest at his New York City restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem, during Earth Week.
“Food waste directly impacts people and our planet, which is why as chefs we can be a vital part of finding solutions to eliminate it,” said Samuelsson. “I’m proud to be working with Two Good and Full Harvest to bring rescued produce into my kitchen so that we can take this step towards driving awareness of one way restaurants can make our supply chain more sustainable. I encourage my friends and fellow chefs to join me in using rescued produce this month and beyond so that together we can make an impact on the startling amount of food that is wasted in the U.S.”
The initiative further supports the Two Good brand team’s One Cup, Less Hunger campaign, which launched last year in partnership with City Harvest and We Don’t Waste. The Two Good brand team donates 2 cents for every 5.3 ounces of Two Good lowfat yogurt purchased by consumers to these organizations, which in turn provides an equal amount of food to people in need, Two Good said.
“As part of the B Corp community, we believe it’s important for brands to take actionable steps and to use their voice and efforts as a force for good, which for us at Two Good means helping combat the massive issue that is food waste,” shared Surbhi Martin, vice president, Greek yogurt and functional nutrition, Danone North America. “The unfortunate reality is that food waste has far reaching consequences, particularly with its impact on our climate. If we collectively come together and reframe how we think about wasted food, we will not only make our systems more sustainable, but we can help address the food insecurity issue that has been exacerbated during the pandemic. Our hope is to inspire collective action through partnering with Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Full Harvest, and to provide one more avenue for our communities to stand up for solutions to food waste.”
Two Good and Samuelsson are inviting restaurants nationwide to join the movement by emailing wastelessfeedmore@twogoodyogurt.com in hopes that chefs will shift existing perceptions about food waste and inspire commitments to using rescued produce in the future.
“Our mission is to solve the massive food waste problem, so there is nothing more exciting for us than to encourage restaurants to use rescued food in their kitchens,” said Christine Moseley, founder and CEO of Full Harvest. “It will take a movement of individuals, restaurants and brands to begin curbing food waste in the fight against climate change.”
This announcement comes on the heels of the launch by Two Good and Full Harvest of Two Good Good Save low-fat yogurt, the first dairy product to utilize Verified Rescued Produce, Two Good said. What’s more, Two Good launched the industry’s first one-for-one model in partnership with food rescue organizations We Don’t Waste and City Harvest in 2020 with its One Cup, Less Hunger program. For more information about Two Good, visit http://goodyogurt.com.
