Food Waste in Schools: How to Effectively Measure and Reduce Food Waste in Schools

Sunday, July 22 | 10:15 am - 11:15 am | Northstar

Moderator: Kathleen Morgan, DrMH, DTR, Rutgers University/ Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Speakers: Carmen Byker Shanks PhD, RDN, Montana State University; Sara Elnakib, RD, MPH, Rutgers University

During this session we will discuss the impact of food waste on the environment, how schools can be used as a leverage point to reduce food waste, what are the methods to measuring food waste in schools and what are some strategies that have been shown to reduce food waste in schools. We will review case studies of different programs all over the country that worked on reducing food waste, and the different strategies and methods they used to measure food waste.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify the impact of food waste on the environment.
2. Participants will differentiate between the three methods of measuring waste; visual estimation, digital photography and direct weight.
3. Participants will identify strategies used in studies to reduce food waste in schools.