Orange County turns K-12 cafeterias into classrooms to tackle food waste

Trimmel Gomez, Florida News Connection

Students in the Orlando area can spend more time in the classroom at lunch and learn more about how to fight hunger and food waste.

It is estimated that 40% of food produced worldwide is lost or wasted. “food waste warriorWorld Wide Fund for Nature programs inspire children to help alleviate food insecurity locally and globally. It encourages children to think of practical, easy-to-implement solutions, such as a ‘shared table’ where they can eat foods they don’t eat. share with someone

Alex Nichols Binueza, Program Manager for Food Loss and Waste at the World Wildlife Fund, said the idea aims to empower students to play a role in addressing issues in their communities. rice field.

“On food insecurity, the environmental impact of the food system,” Nichols Binueza explained. “It’s an uncontroversial way to really engage students on some of these issues.”

He pointed out that they are just beginning to connect with school districts and community partners in Orlando and that they are aiming to work with five to seven schools over the next year.in addition to providing free teaching materialsthere are grant opportunities to get your program or idea off the ground.

Nichols-Vinueza pointed out that reducing food waste is increasingly recognized as an effective solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He added that, like many aspects of the climate change debate, it’s not political.One of his practical ways to help students understand is to “show and tell.”

“Get involved in an interactive way, go into their cafeteria and see what’s being thrown away,” stressed Nichols Binueza. It is a very instinctive understanding of

The program encourages schools across the country to use cafeterias as classrooms through activities such as conducting food waste audits and learning more about the relationship between food, wildlife and habitat conservation.