Sustainable Food Management
for the greater Quad Cities community
This summit seeks to engage food system stakeholders across the food system in the Quad Cities area to discuss various topics about reducing food loss and waste and gaining best use out of excess food. Attendees will have to opportunity to discuss various topics about sustainable food management and connect with others in the area to enhance the current efforts to reduce food loss and waste in the area.
December 2 | Main Introduction Slides | Breakout Session Summary
December 9 | Main Introduction Slides | Breakout Session Summary
Keynote Presentations
"Food For Thought: Feeding People, Not Landfills"
Christina McDonough | Community Transformation Consultant, Scott County Health Department
Christina.McDonough@scottcountyiowa.gov
"Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act and Other Financial Benefits of Food Donation."
Joseph Beckmann | Clinical Fellow, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic
jbeckmann@law.harvard.edu
"Comprehensive Regional Food Waste Diversion Project"
Jennifer Trent | Program Manager, Iowa Waste Reduction Center
jennifer.trent@uni.edu
Panel Discussion
"Food Waste Reduction Success Stories"
Panelists will discuss the challenge(s) identified and how they and their organization
work to address that challenge.
Coni Dobbels | Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Davenport Community School District
dobbelsc@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us
Chris Ford | Food Sourcing Manager, Riverbend Food Bank
CFord@riverbendfoodbank.org
Ashly Jackson | Founder, Gene Garden Project
ashlyjackson20@outlook.com
Local Resources
Davenport School District Sustainability seeks to investigate and take actions which promote sustainability and reduce budget expenditures to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Eat Greater Des Moines strives to cultivate a food system for everyone. Through various programs, the organization is reducing food loss and waste and feeding hungry people.
The Food Rescue Partnership is a Quad Cities coalition that promotes rescuing food for its best possible use. Through Core Values of collaboration, education, community, and safety, the Food Rescue Partnership continues to enhance their efforts.
2020 Webinar Series FRP YouTube Channel Donation Information Food Availability Map
The Gene Garden Project hopes to attain a source of food equality within the Quad Cities area. It works towards this goal through the creation of community garden spaces. As The Gene Garden Project we want to make it a easier way to acquire fruits and vegetables for the ones that can't afford it, or live in a food desert community
The Illinois Farm to School Network is comprised of teachers, early care providers, food service staff, farmers, and many others who are working to change food purchasing and education practices in their communities.
Find a garden program Harvest of the Month Farm to School Toolkit
The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition (IFSC) is a thriving not-for-profit organization advancing diversion and composting of organics in Illinois through advocacy, program implementation, market and business development, policy, and outreach. The IFSC is also the Illinois Chapter of the US Composting Council (USCC).
In partnership with the US Composting Council (USCC) and the Iowa Recycling Association (IRA), the State of Iowa now has a newly formed Chapter of the USCC to promote infrastructure building and training to address increasing amounts of organics in the landfill and encourage use of compost for healthy soils.
The Iowa Composting Council (IACC), which is seeking Iowa members, will educate state regulators, local officials and the public about the importance of the compost manufacturing industry to local waste management programs, jobs and business development, as well as the benefits of using compost in commercial and residential landscaping and farm fields. Educational outreach will also include the benefits of using compost for stormwater management, erosion control and green infrastructure.
The Iowa Department of Education recognizes that schools have a special role in providing nutritious, well-balanced meals for students and to educate the next generation about environmental stewardship through reduction of waste. Their food waste resources can help schools and communities to reduce wasted food in schools.
The Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA) is a collaboration of Feeding America food banks and affiliates that serve each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Together, the food banks serve over 1,200 non-profit organizations serving children, adults, veterans, and seniors. These organizations include food pantries, emergency meal sites, congregational meal sites, emergency shelters, and other sites that provide food to clients.
Iowa Food Coalition (IFC) is committed to making the food system easier to navigate. One of those systems includes food rescue. Making informed, healthy choices can and does contribute to our food system’s success. By making more community level data available, IFC believes we can further food rescue efforts and opportunities.
The Iowa Hunger Coalition is an association of organizations and individuals committed to ending hunger in Iowa. Our members come from food pantries, food rescue organizations, community partnerships, and individuals committed to ending hunger in Iowa.
Iowa Extension & Outreach is full of educators, researchers, volunteers, and partners on campus in Ames and throughout the state. They serve Iowans online and in person with education and information based in research. They are Iowa’s 99 county campus and seek to serve community members, families, homes, farms, businesses, the environment and future leaders.
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development is place-based and uniquely built to address varied local needs and concerns. Their team works to grow local economies, strengthen food systems, foster protection and enhancement of natural resources, and develop awareness for the arts, history, and culture. They facilitate partner collaboration, solve problems at a system level, and leverage resources to get more done. Their expertise is in community food systems, planning, and placemaking.
Grow Johnson County Corridor Food Asset Map Supply Chain Technology Consulting
The Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) is a nationally recognized organization at the University of Northern Iowa devoted to environmental consulting, assistance, training and education for entities with environmental impact or need. Regardless of the industry, IWRC's programs and services all maintain a core focus on helping businesses to reduce waste.
Food Waste Resources Regional Partnership for Food Waste Solutions
The Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) is one of the nation's premier materials exchange programs. There is a booming market for byproducts and wastes produced by Iowa institutions and businesses. Since 1990 the Iowa Waste Exchange has matched well over 4 million tons, keeping waste out of landfills and into our economy, saving Iowans more than $116 million by diverting this waste into production and use.
Search Materials Food Waste Minimization Toolkit for Iowa Schools
MarketMaker is one of the most extensive interactive e-commerce platforms that provides food marketing information to food entrepreneurs (agricultural producers, buyers, processors, wholesalers, food retailers, restaurants and transporters) and their customers. It is an ever-growing, always evolving partnership of land grant universities, state departments of agriculture, and food and agricultural organizations, all investing in a coordinated effort to build a virtual infrastructure bringing healthier, fresher and more flavorful food to consumers.
Metro Waste Authority provides a backyard composting guide to help people set up their own composting.
To further food waste reduction efforts, NRDC surveyed food waste-related policies in twelve states across three regions (corresponding to the states represented in their Food Matters Regional Initiative ) and compiled an inventory and gap analysis of existing food waste-related policies for each state, divided into ten categories. The inventories provide a comprehensive overview of policies related to food waste reduction that currently exist across the ten covered categories, and the gap analysis identifies particularly strong policies that can be leveraged to further a city’s food waste reduction goals, as well as advocacy opportunities where policies are weak or nonexistent.
The River Bend Food Bank is a non-profit organization that feeds people experiencing hunger by rescuing, safely storing, and distributing nutritious food to more than 300 charitable community organizations in 23 counties in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The River Bend Food Bank has many programs that seek to reduce hunger in the region.
Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) works with local government, community and private sector leaders to help communities make the changes they need to build a healthy and sustainable future. SGA’s work covers a broad range of sustainability topic areas, including: energy efficiency and renewable energy; transportation; healthy community development; waste reduction; water conservation; green business; procurement; local, sustainable food; healthy eating; open space and ecosystem enhancement; and sustainability education.
Table to Table is an organization focused on reducing food waste and distributing healthy food to those in need.
The University of Illinois Extension is the university’s statewide network of educators, faculty experts, and staff dedicated to the mission of using learning and discovery to benefit the health and well-being of communities and the people within them.
They organize around important goals by focusing on five ‘grand challenges.’ This blend of long-range focus and local accountability is a powerful strategy that ensures we stay true to our mission while we serve communities across the state. Learn more about Illinois Extension Core Program Areas.
The Waste Commission of Scott County is a proud member of the Quad Cities' Food Rescue Partnership.
Waste Commission of Scott County is a 28E, inter-governmental agency that was established in 1972 and reorganized in 1990. Our members include 17 communities and Scott County. The Commission, headquartered in Buffalo, Iowa, has planned, sited, built and operates:
Scott Area Landfill
Scott Area Recycling Center
Household Hazardous Material Facilities
Electronics Recovery Center
iLivehere: myhome ourcommunity®
The Wasted Food Action Alliance (WFAA) was formed in response to the 2016 ReFED Report addressing national concern for the amount of food wasted in the United States. The group focused on finding intersections between food recovery and food scrap composting. A multistakeholder approach was needed and included leading food businesses, solid waste agencies, environmental and hunger organizations, policymakers, and innovators.
Food Waste Reduction Toolkit for Schools Grocery/Food Retail ResourcesIllinois Food Waste Action Plan Find Food in Illinois
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (#AI97756601) to Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.