Across the world, a surprising amount of food doesn’t get eaten. Roughly one third of food is lost or wasted every year world-wide. In Canada, approximately 40 percent of the food produced in the country is lost or wasted. The cost of this waste is estimated to be 31 billion dollars every year.
And while so much food is going to waste, many people are experiencing food insecurity.
One in 8 Canadian households are food insecure, amounting to over 4 million Canadians, including over 1 million children. Lacking access to good food has variety of negative physical, mental and social health impacts.In recent years, the idea of food deserts has entered the discussion about food and cities. Food deserts are areas where there is little to no access to affordable, nutritious food. Often in these areas, the only local food options are fast food chains or corner stores.
We wanted to talk to someone who is helping to relieve some of the food waste and food security problems that our cities face.
Today’s guest, Lourdes Juan, is the founder of the Leftovers Foundation where she’s helping provide good food to those in need.
Resources
- Get involved with the Leftovers Foundation
- Read about the cost of Canada’s food waste
- Follow Lourdes on Twitter @lourdesmjuan
- Follow the Leftovers Foundation on Twitter @LeftoversYYC
