Calendar of events
Register for this year’s panels, workshops, volunteer opportunities & tours!
Stay tuned — we’ll be adding more programs leading up to the 2021 Fair!
schedule
12pm – 1pm
Food Waste Policy Action: Setting & Reaching National Targets on Food Waste
Food waste is a global issue, and it can be hard to know how and where to measure our progress. Learn about how national organizations, policymakers, and businesses are setting aggressive targets on food waste reduction and targeting policy change to achieve them.
Moderator: Emily Broad Leib
Speakers: Dana Gunders, Yvette Cabrera, Priyanka Malhotra, Claudia Fabiano
3pm – 4pm
Upcycling: Food Waste as Opportunity for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Food waste reduction isn’t just about throwing away fewer scraps – it’s about changing the way we think about waste. Learn all about upcycled food and meet the entrepreneurs who are adding value while giving otherwise wasted materials a second life.
Moderators: Turner Wyatt & Julie Raskin
Speakers: Fumi Tsukamoto, Ricardo Dias, Beth Kennedy, Chris Oates
2pm – 3pm
Stronger Together: Cities Leading the Fight Against Food Waste
Food waste is not a problem unique to New Yorkers. Across the country, cities and states are piloting programs to help their residents combat food waste, from new policies and legislation to innovative public-private partnerships. Hear from the municipal leaders across the U.S. taking on food waste in their own communities.
Moderator: Bridget Anderson
Speakers: Natasha Dyer, Erin Hafner, Alexa Kielty, Bryan Johnson
4pm – 5pm
Scaling & Sustaining Food Waste Solutions: Planning for Beyond the Pandemic
For generations, grassroots efforts have helped keep New Yorkers fed. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the many mutual aid networks and community members stepping up to provide solutions to waste and hunger. As we begin to reach the light at the end of the tunnel, how can we sustain and scale up these solutions for a post-pandemic world?
Moderator: Raj Borsellino
Speakers: Desmon Lewis, Matt Jozwiak, Ben Collier
3pm – 4pm
Black Gold: Transforming Food Scraps into Profit
Compost isn’t just good for the planet -- it’s good for business. Learn from fellow business owners about how you can turn your waste stream into a revenue stream through composting and other operational changes.
Moderator: Susan Thoman
Speakers: Ceci Pineda, Sashti Balasundaram, Brian Fleury, Rhonda Sherman
3pm – 4pm
Food as Medicine: Prescribing Imperfect Food to Fight Hunger & Illness
We’ve all heard the saying “food as medicine” but for chronically ill food and food insecure patients, that concept presents a host of challenges. Everything Food is tackling that problem with FoodFarmacy, a code matching software that identifies funding resources for health care professionals setting treatment plans for their chronically ill or food insecure patients.
Moderator: Vitus Spehar
Speakers: Madeline Rotman, Sam Polk
9am – 10am
Connecting the Dots: Fighting Food Waste by Feeding More People
When COVID-19 hit NYC, government officials and restaurant owners alike suddenly had to deal with the dual problems of rising hunger and mounting food waste. Through strategic coordination and redistribution efforts, the City and its nonprofits have worked together tirelessly to divert food waste towards feeding people throughout the pandemic.
Moderator: Senator Jessica Ramos
Speakers: Kate MacKenzie, Racine Droz, Rick Whitted
12pm – 1pm
Beyond Scraps: Strategies for Reducing Food-Related Plastics & Packaging
From grower to distributor to your local supermarket, waste associated with food production is generated all along the supply chain but is often overlooked. The plastics from packaging, single-use utensils, and shipping waste add up, so if we aim to eradicate food waste, we need to think beyond the plate and reduce packaging waste.
Moderator: Allison Shapiro
Speakers: Anna Steffens, Adam Farbiarz, Sandra Noonan, Dr. Claire Sand