Feeding The 5,000 Will Go To New York, Providing Free Meals; Talks About Global Food Waste Problem

Free food always brings good cheer so New Yorkers, come pass by Union Square on Tuesday and enjoy a sumptuous treat while joining a good cause. Feedback, a U.K. nonprofit organization, is taking its anti-food waste campaign to the U.S. through holding the Feeding the 5,000 event on May 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What Is 'Feeding the 5,000?'

Imagine the reaction of those who'll go when they find out that the meals, prepared by chefs, are made of fresh ingredients that consumers, supermarkets and farmers would have dumped. The project aims to show ordinary citizens that these foods could still be cooked to perfection and eaten. According to Village Voice, Feeding the 5,000 aims to reach people who are not aware of the food waste problem that America is experiencing because of their lack of exposure to food blogs, news and other outlets.  

"The ultimate goal is to bring the issue to as broad an audience as possible," said Chris Hunt, a food and agriculture special advisor, to the Village Voice. "It's Union Square on a weekday. I think we'll see tremendous diversity of attendees."

On Feeding the 5,000's official website, it emphasizes its purpose "to shine a light on the global food waste scandal, champion the delicious solutions and catalyze the global movement against food waste." Since it started in 2009, the events had been held in parts of Europe and overseas. This is the first time that the one-day food fair will be held in North America.To keep it interactive, anti-waste campaign leaders will provide talks on food preservation and live demos about composition, cooking and such will be given by Slow Food NYC's Jenee Grannum, Jason Weiner of Almond, and Egg's Evan Hanczor, the Village Voice further reports.

The Food Waste Problem In America

According to the FAQ sheet on food waste from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. lost an approximate of 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. It stresses the negative impact of food waste on food security, resource conservation and climate change. The FAQ sheet explains that food waste sent to landfills, instead of feeding hungry families, generates methane.The inputs also used in the production and disposal of food could have been directed to other beneficial uses.

Based on an article published in 2013 by Bloomberg, wasting of food is cultural. Consumers and supermarkets need to adjust the food they buy in accordance with the food they eat and sell respectively. In this way, farmers and manufacturers can also adjust the amount of food they produce.

Last September 16, 2015, the USDA announced its goal of reducing half of America's food waste by 2030. The government department, together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plans to partner with organizations, private companies, and local governments to fulfill this mission.

What do you think will happen if USDA does not reach its goal by 2030? We want to hear your opinions on the comments section below!