Supporting Students to End Hunger and Stop Food Waste
The Challenge
More than 34 million people in the United States, including 9 million children, lack consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life. For some, food insecurity can be a temporary situation caused by an unexpected bill or layoffs at work. For others, food insecurity can be a long-term reality. Families experiencing food insecurity also may be facing challenges like a lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions, poverty or unemployment, and even the effects of systemic racism and discrimination.
At the same time, the United States generates approximately 35 million tons of food waste every year. On average, a four-person household wastes about 30 percent of the food we buy every month. The impacts of this waste are far-reaching. Not only are we wasting food that others—particularly those experiencing food insecurity—need, but the amount of water and energy wasted from uneaten food in America every year would also be enough to power 50 million homes. While food waste is certainly a year-round concern, the issue spikes around certain events. For example, every year the Super Bowl and associated events can generate up to 140,000 pounds of wasted food that could otherwise be donated.
Our Approach
The Food Recovery Network (FRN) was founded by five students at the University of Maryland who noticed how much good food was going to waste from their campus. Since then, FRN has expanded to be the largest student-led movement fighting food waste and working to end hunger in the United States. In 2020, FRN targeted the Super Bowl as a key recovery event. And in 2023, FRN and their local Northern Arizona University Chapter held an ambitious recovery event at a Super Bowl tailgate event before the big game in Glendale, Arizona. Partnering with the tailgate organizers, local nonprofits and the Mayor of Glendale, FRN sought to recover and donate nearly 3,000 pounds of food (the equivalent of about 2,500 individual meals) and donate them to a local nonprofit organization providing food to those experiencing hunger and food insecurity in the Phoenix and Glendale areas.
To help support this recovery and future events, and to inform the public in Arizona and nationwide about the issues of food waste and insecurity, Burness developed a media outreach strategy. Working closely with the FRN team as well as other partners in the recovery and the Mayor’s office, Burness reached out to national and local media outlets, encouraging them to cover the story from multiple angles before, during and after the event.
Impact
The recovery event and the broader issues of food insecurity and food waste, particularly around the Super Bowl, were covered broadly by local Arizona news outlets including local NPR, the Arizona Republic, and local TV news stations. CNN, TODAY, The Guardian, and Forbes India also ran stories. The event’s relevance to multiple crises—food insecurity in the U.S., and the environmental impact of food waste—generated interest in reporters from a wide range of beats and outlets, further expanding awareness of FRN’s work. In total, the recovery event appeared in over 30 news stories across the country.