Danone North America's Two Good Yogurt is partnering with James Bead Award-winning Chef Marcus Samuelsson and imperfect/surplus produce online marketplace Full Harvest to reduce food waste by encouraging restaurants across the country to use rescued produce in their kitchens.
The companies are inviting restaurants nationwide to join the movement in hopes that chefs will shift existing perceptions about food waste and inspire commitments to using rescued produce in the future. Samuelsson himself will use rescued produce from Full Harvest at his New York City restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem, in the week leading up to Earth Day, April 22.
"Food waste directly impacts people and our planet, which is why as chefs we can be a vital part of finding solutions to eliminate it," said Samuelsson, in a statement. "I'm proud to be working with Two Good and Full Harvest to bring rescued produce into my kitchen so that we can take this step towards driving awareness of one way restaurants can make our supply chain more sustainable. I encourage my friends and fellow chefs to join me in using rescued produce this month, and beyond, so that together we can make an impact on the startling amount of food that is wasted in the U.S."
The initiative further supports Two Good brand team's One Cup, Less Hunger campaign, which launched last year in partnership with City Harvest and We Don't Waste. The Two Good brand team donates two cents for every 5.3-ounce Two Good lowfat yogurt purchased by consumers to both organizations, which in turn provide an equal amount of food to people in need.
"As part of the B Corp community, we believe it's important for brands to take actionable steps and to use their voice and efforts as a force for good, which for us at Two Good means helping combat the massive issue that is food waste," said Surbhi Martin, vice president, Greek yogurt & functional nutrition, Danone North America, in a statement. "The unfortunate reality is that food waste has far reaching consequences, particularly with its impact on our climate. If we collectively come together and reframe how we think about wasted food, we will not only make our systems more sustainable, but we can help address the food insecurity issue that has been exacerbated during the pandemic. Our hope is to inspire collective action through partnering with Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Full Harvest, and to provide one more avenue for our communities to stand up for solutions to food waste."
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Image: Two Good Yogurt/Danone North America