NEW ORLEANS – Food Recovery Network and volunteers, including local college students from Tulane University and Louisiana State University, will be at The Players Tailgate hosted by Bullseye Event Group and Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate at the Big Game to recover and redistribute surplus food to those experiencing food insecurity around New Orleans. This is the first recovery conducted by the Food Recovery Network (FRN), one of the largest student-led movements against food waste and hunger in the U.S., in New Orleans, and is the second year partnering with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise to fight hunger and climate change through food recovery.
“The people of New Orleans are no strangers to the impact of climate disasters on their community, and limiting food waste is one of many ways we can all work together to reduce carbon emissions and create a more climate-resilient world,” says Regina Harmon, executive director of FRN in a statement about the partnership. “And in a city where 62,000 New Orleanians are facing food insecurity, our recovery efforts can help to tackle two crises at once.”
This year’s recovery event will again occur at The Players Tailgate in New Orleans, catered by Food Network Celebrity Chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy and Aaron May, as well as at Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate. FRN has recovered and donated nearly 15,000 pounds of surplus food in four previous recoveries in partnership with Bullseye Entertainment Group through The Players Tailgate. Last year in Las Vegas, Food Recovery Network redirected 3,994 pounds of food – the equivalent of 3,328 meals – from The Player’s Tailgate to those who need it. This year, FRN will donate the recovered food to New Orleans Mission.
“From special occasions like tailgates and watch parties to the meals we make for our families each day, we all have a role to play in eliminating food waste and supporting our natural environment,” said Harmon. “We’re incredibly grateful to work with our partners and volunteers to build more food-secure and resilient communities across the country.”
This year’s recovery event has increased significance, coming on the heels of the rare and deadly winter storm that recently dropped 10 inches of snow across the New Orleans metro area. In addition to fighting food waste and hunger on one of America’s biggest eating days of the year, reducing food waste plays a key role in fighting climate change. According to a report from the United Nations, 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted globally, accounting for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. That is nearly five times the total emissions from the aviation sector. Since 2011, FRN has saved 18.5 million pounds of food from the landfill, preventing 9,800 metric tons of emissions in the process.
“As our efforts to fight food waste and hunger have evolved, so too has the urgency,” said Harmon. “The impact of wasted and surplus food on our climate is undeniable, and we all see the effects. It’s important for us to shine a light on this issue in New Orleans, particularly a city that has seen too many climate change-fueled tragedies.”
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