The Delicious Potential of Rescuing Wasted Food | Jasmine Crowe-Houston | TED

Overview

This episode explores the innovative work of Jasmine Crowe-Houston, founder of Goodr, a platform addressing food waste and hunger. From a viral moment to a nationwide operation, Jasmine shares how Goodr reroutes surplus food to those in need while helping businesses reduce waste and track their environmental impact.

Notable Quotes

- Feeding hungry people is not a priority for too many people in this country. And that's a problem. – Jasmine Crowe-Houston, on systemic barriers to addressing food waste.

- Hunger is not an issue of scarcity. We are wasting 40 percent of food. It’s really about logistics. – Jasmine Crowe-Houston, on the root cause of food insecurity.

- We live for the announcement, but we don’t follow up on the delivery. – Jasmine Crowe-Houston, on corporate greenwashing and accountability.

🍴 The Birth of Goodr

- Jasmine Crowe-Houston’s journey began with a pop-up restaurant for people experiencing homelessness, emphasizing dignity in how food is served.

- A viral video of her initiative led her to research food waste, uncovering the staggering scale of the issue.

- Goodr was born out of her realization that solving hunger required addressing food waste through better logistics.

♻️ Tackling Food Waste at Scale

- Goodr operates a two-sided model: redistributing edible food to those in need and providing businesses with data on their waste reduction and carbon footprint.

- The platform has built free grocery stores in schools, delivered meals during the pandemic, and partnered with shelters and community organizations.

- Jasmine highlighted that 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted, equating to nearly 2% of GDP.

📊 Corporate Accountability and Partnerships

- Jasmine leveraged corporate sustainability reports to hold companies accountable for their food waste.

- Goodr’s partnerships include airports and major hotel chains, where Jasmine used data to demonstrate the scale of waste and its local impact.

- The platform provides tax benefits, sustainability metrics, and impact reports to incentivize businesses to participate.

📱 Technology and Logistics

- Goodr’s app streamlines food donations by allowing businesses to inventory surplus food, request pickups, and track donations.

- The platform uses shared economy drivers to transport food, reducing operational costs and scaling efficiently.

- Jasmine emphasized that hunger is a logistics issue, not one of scarcity, and Goodr’s technology bridges the gap between surplus food and those in need.

🌍 For-Profit with a Purpose

- Goodr operates as a B Corp, focusing on people, planet, and profit.

- Jasmine chose a for-profit model to compete with traditional waste management companies, which already charge businesses to dispose of food.

- By offering a better return on investment, Goodr positions itself as a sustainable alternative to traditional waste services.