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Final Blog Post

EndFoodWaste.org post

#UglyIsBeautiful is created by EndFoodWaste.org in attempt to spread awareness about how 1 in 5 fruits and veggies that are considered “ugly” are wasted. These discoloured fruits and veggies fail to meet the super markets standards, and are thrown out to be wasted. The campaign hopes to educate people that produce that is a little discoloured is still okay to consume. This campaign highlights one of the Seven C’s; Collaboration. In the book ‘Leadership for a Better World’ it states that “Collaboration involves a process of developing common visions, goals, and purpose.” (Pg. 111). EndFoodWaste.org goes over ways to get involved as well as what their shared vision, goals, and purpose is. This organization's vision is “To Stop Wasted Food and Hunger”.

Sustainable America post

‘I Value Food’ is a movement by Sustainable America in hopes to spread awareness about how food waste is related to declining natural resources. The movements website talks about how 16% of the methane emissions are from wasted food. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The non-profits goals are to increase food availability by 50% and reduce oil consumption by 50% by the year 2035. The ‘I Value Food’ movement believes in order to achieve their goals, people must make big behavioral changes. This goes back to one of the Seven C’s; Consciousness of Self. Being mindful in the choices his or her makes has great impact in achieving this goal. Making the right lifestyle choices while being conscious of our environment will take us that much closer to reaching these goals.

OzHarvest Article

#MealForaMeal helps the non-profit organization OzHarvest by preventing food from going to landfills to feed the hungry. Using the hashtag #MealForaMeal while posting a picture of your food on social media, this non-profit will donate meals to people in need. This non-profit has saved millions of pounds of food from being wasted in landfills. This relates to one of the Seven C’s; Citizenship. Actively participating in this hashtag could cut back on food waste, and more importantly feed hungry people in need. Citizenship is based upon actively participating in our community with a sense of responsibility. Taking action by supporting this non-profit organization will help OzHarvest achieve their goals, and help cut back on our food waste.

Links to articles:

http://www.endfoodwaste.org/do-something.html

https://sustainableamerica.org/about

https://www.ozharvest.org/what-we-do/

References

Do Something To Stop Wasted Food and Hunger. (2013). Ugly Fruit and Veg. Retrieved from http://www.endfoodwaste.org/do-something.html

Sustainable America Goals. (2018). Sustainable America. Retrieved from https://sustainableamerica.org/about

What We Do. (2018). OZHarvest. Retrieved from https://www.ozharvest.org/what-we-do/

Komives, S., & Wagner, W. (2017). Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model of leadership development (Second ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.      

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Blog Deliverable #7

In a video published by Vox titled, “Food Waste is the World’s Dumbest Problem” (2017), researchers review why food waste is a silly problem that effects the whole world. They mention that if food waste were a country it would be the third largest contributor to emissions. They show a wonderful point about how the size of fridges has increased by 15 percent since the 1970s. This may seem relatively small, but it becomes a large problem when you look at how people fill their fridge. The researchers dive into the fact that people tend to despise white space in their fridge; therefore, they fill fridges to the max even if they know they are not going to eat the food. They mention that the fridge door acts as a curtain for consumers. People do not feel as guilty if they let food go bad in the fridge; however, if they were to drop that same food, they would be very upset. These studies show us a big reason for a rise in food waste when you consider the 15 percent size increase of fridges and peoples need to fill their fridges. It is an unnecessary amount of waste largely contributed to buying pressure. Americans often fell the need to purchase more than they use. This is because grocery stores market very heavily to consumers, and they know consumers have a physiological want to buy more. This want comes from our instinct to provide and feel safe.

              Another interesting part of the video is the food camera in the University of California labs. If you have leftovers you can put it under the food camera. This camera will post pictures of the food to social media and people will swarm in to get some of the food. People do not enjoy wasting food, but often we do not have methods to give away our left away food.

 Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RlxySFrkIM

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Blog Deliverable #6

The first article that we read was posted by ‘The New York Times’. The article titled ‘How Much Food Do We Waste? Probably More Than You Think’ talks about how we need to cut back on food waste, and doing so can help feed the starving people and can even reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The article goes in depth and talks about some of the main reasons that food waste is such a big problem. Food waste is such a big problem especially in countries that are more wealthy than others. People in poorer countries are more likely to finish everything on their plate because food is less abundant to them. For people in countries who are more wealthy food is very abundant and consumers take food for granted. They spend such a little amount from their paychecks on food so they do not worry about throwing food out when they are full.

The second article that we read was posted on ‘WSJ’ and is titled ‘Is Food Waste Really Such a Waste?’ by Marc Bellemere. This article goes in depth with talking about how food waste really is not such a bad thing after all. Marc Bellemere believes that the more time spent on trying to not waste food, the more money we will waste by trying not to waste food. His view on food waste is thinking from a money perspective. He believes it would be more beneficial to not spend time on trying to help our food waste problem. I do not understand why he believes we would save more money by not reducing food waste. There are only positives from reducing food waste, and saving money from reducing food waste is one of the ways. Marc believes that because food is such a small purchase one anyones paycheck in america that we should not worry about if food gets wasted. His idea is not looking at the bigger picture, when all this wasted food could have been eaten by people who are less fortunate than others.

The two articles are very different from each other. The first article I read is the more logical one that talks about ways we can prevent food waste and approaches how to achieve it. It breaks up step by step issues and concerns about food waste, and it even shows you ways to become actively involved in reducing your food waste. The second article that Marc Bellemere wrote was quite the opposite. Marc’s view on food waste is saving money from not reducing food waste. This does not make any sense at all, because reducing food waste will only save us millions of dollars. I do not understand how not reducing food waste would save us money. Both articles have very different views upon the problem of food waste. One thing that they did have in common was that both of their goals in the end was to save money. They each had different ways in saving money, but their outcome was to save money in the end.

Citations

Bellemare, Marc F. “Is 'Food Waste' Really Such a Waste?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 24 Aug. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/is-food-waste-really-such-a-waste-1503617475.

Sengupta, Somini. “How Much Food Do We Waste? Probably More Than You Think.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/climate/food-waste-emissions.html.

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Blog Week 7- Stakeholders and Leaders

Stakeholders

Everyone who eats is a stake holder in food waste. Although everyone is a stake holder there are a few main contributors. In a map created by Food Maven they show that restaurants, consumers, food banks, food suppliers, and the government are the main stakeholders in food waste. They point out that consumers are the main attributor to the overall waste. In the article the authors state, “Although consumers are critical stakeholders, they don’t have a high level of insider power within restaurants.” They are showing us that although, consumers do have the biggest impact, they are often persuaded or pressured to over buy. The next largest stake holder is the government. In the article they bring up a good point about regulations set fourth by the government. The authors state, “As outlined by law, there are specified time periods and temperatures that food must remain at to be deemed safe to serve and consume. If the food does not meet these guidelines, it must be thrown away.” They are telling us that these regulations often lead to throwing away perfectly good food.

 Leaders

There are several food waste leaders nationally and locally. One of the largest in the nation is ReFED. This organizations works with thousands of large corporations around the nation to prevent food waste. They work with many restaurant chains to help fins solutions to reducing their impact. Locally we have Urban Gleaners which is the largest food bank in the Portland area. They work with local restaurants and businesses to donate food that would otherwise be thrown out.

  Citations:

Food Maven. (2016). Food Waste StakeHolders. N.p.: KUMU.IO. Retrieved from https://embed.kumu.io/f9a7daa366aca8d6b011730192730a8e#food-waste-stakeholders?s=bm9kZS1TTGM1eDR5Nw%3D%3D

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Questions we asked Gregory

What does Portland’s food waste problem look like? Do you think more people here are taking action compared to other cities?

What type of work do you do with Urban Gleaners and what made you decide to work with them?

In context of the restaurant industry, what is the largest contributor to food waste (non-aesthetic product, people not finishing their food)?

What is Departure doing to reduce this sort of waste?

Do you think there is a part of preventing food waste that could be better executed or that is missing overall?

As an individual in the Portland community are there any day to day practices that you would recommend helping contribute to the problem?

How does food waste effect you?

Who has an interest/stake in food-waste?

(Did it like this to preserve the style of Humans of New York)

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Gregory Gourdet on Food Waste and Urban Gleaners- Blog week 7

“I think globally we can do more, I think nationally I think it's very obvious but I do think Portland is doing something I think you know we place where there are a lot of farms and a lot of Natural Resources so it’s always top in mind but I do believe the work that Urban Gleaners is doing is very helpful.”

“We’ve done Urban Gleaners through annual gala two years in a row, and I just joined the board just last fall. So fairly new. We’ve had a relationship for quite some time. I think Urban Gleaners encompasses a lot of different organizations because a lot of people donate to Urban Gleaners so like within that, last year they rescued over a million pounds of food, so that’s quite a bit coming from farms, from farmers markets, from the grocery stores, from restaurants and hotels, so it’s a pretty big network of people helping.”

“So basically, raising awareness, we have our hotel on board now, so any excess food we produce we donate to them. We’re trying to get new companies to donate to them as well. Were currently working with new groups like Nikki USA, who’s our meat purveyor so we’re trying to get them on board. And, just getting chefs to be a part of it, and different hotels, and yea just outreach and awareness. Also, we take team members to Urban Gleaners to help them repackage the food, so it all comes in from all the different outlets, and then it gets repackaged and labeled and then goes out to all the different communities that need the food.”

“The biggest form of waste is from people over-ordering food and throwing the rest out. I would say that is the largest contributor, but it’s all adding to the overall problem. There is waste from the farm, the restaurant, and the customer. If a product does not look good and we can’t use it, we will have to throw it away. But I would say most of it comes from over ordering.”

“We have been experimenting with hydroponic gardens in our basement. This reduces waste resulting from travel and bad production. We also obviously have our rooftop garden where we get honey and vegetables. We also try to buy a lot of local ingredients so that we know what were feeding people and so that we take away a lot of waste from travel.”

“Yeah of course I do. Many restaurants in Portland do not compost which is a huge contributor to the problem. I also believe that there is just not enough awareness. People do not know the impact each individual has and how it can affect them and their community.”

“I think anyone can contribute to help prevent food waste. I believe buying from farmers markets is a big one. I also think more people should be taught how to properly compost. People can also volunteer places that help reduce food waste in our community.”

“As a large restaurant we need to be aware of our footprint. As a waste preventative restaurant, we need to keep true to the standards we set. We use all our fish scraps to make sauces to cook with. We save a lot of the leftover vegetables to make stocks or sauces. It’s a responsibility that I hold, and that everyone should hold.”

“Everyone who eats has a stake in food waste. Each individual adds to the problem in some way. Again, I believe restaurants and grocery stores should be focused on. Grocery stores must let go of food that is still edible. If it weren’t for organizations similar to Urban Gleaners, this food would get thrown out. Restaurants also contribute largely to the problem, but everyone should focus on doing better with wasting food.”

-Gregory Gourdet, Executive Chef at Departure Restaurant and Lounge

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Blog Deliverable #4

Podcast

I listened to a podcast done by Heritage Radio Network. It is a part of a series that goes over different aspects of food waste. For this project I chose to focus on the Meat Waste podcast, but I recommend listening to them all. Caitlin Pierce talks to different slaughterhouses around the country. She soon found out that 20-50% of the animals live weight is not eaten. The slaughterhouses that she spoke with highers renderers to pick up much of the excess product. For example, for every lamb that weighs around 100 pounds about 50 pounds will go towards rendering. She says that a local slaughterhouse produces 30,000 animal waste each week. She mentions that these renderers find a way to use all of this waste. I believe she stopped her investigation at the slaughterhouse. I would be curious to see how much the renderers can yield from the waste they purchase   

Here is a link to the podcast: https://heritageradionetwork.org/series/food-waste-fw/

Citation

Pierce, C. (2014, July 08). Animal Meat Waste - Heritage Radio Network [Audio blog post]. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://heritageradionetwork.org/series/food-waste-fw/

Song

Get Up Stand Up, by Bob Marley

For this blog deliverable I chose the song ‘Get up, Stand up’ by Bob Marley and the Wailers. I chose Bob Marley not only because he is one of my favorite artists but his lyrics speak so much truth to our society and others. Everyone of his songs he has written has a message for the listener. And each song is a positive message, protesting against violence, police brutality, and our basic human rights. The song ‘Get up, Stand up’ talks about how people should get up and fight for their rights and live the life you want to live. Bob Marley wanted social change from our society, and he made it clear through his amazing creative lyrics. He wanted people to succeed and he thought through this song that it would inspires others to get up, and stand up for what they believed in. Bob Marley wanted everyone to live in harmony with one another, and he brought people together as one through his music. Bob Marley passed away in 1981 and his music still strives to motivate people to believe in themselves and their human rights to this day. His music will continue to be listened to for many more generations to come, and hope people can get his message through his lyrics.

Here is the link for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F69PBQ4ZyNw

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Blog Deliverable #3 Part 2

In this article Marc Bellemare talks about how food waste isn’t really that bad. He talks about how that ⅓ of the food that we produced is gone to waste. This being said, how is this not an issue that needs to be addressed? That is almost half of the food we produced being thrown out or not eaten. Marc goes along to talk about how food waste is not a potential problem. He says “let's not be wasteful by preventing waste”. How is trying to cut back on food waste wasteful? It would save millions of dollars each year, and benefit families who aren't as fortunate to be able to afford groceries. What Marc is saying is that we would end up spending more money and time in trying to cut back on food waste, then what would benefit. I don’t know about you, but I think that cutting back on food waste could save us millions of dollars, save some forested areas where agriculture  areas would have been made, and most importantly feed the people that are hungry.

Citations:

Bellemare, Marc F. “Is 'Food Waste' Really Such a Waste?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 24 Aug. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/is-food-waste-really-such-a-waste-1503617475.

Link to the Article:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-food-waste-really-such-a-waste-1503617475

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Blog #3 Part 1

Tim Worstall, a member of the Adam Smith Institute, states that food waste is not an issue we should concern ourselves with in his article PROOF PERFECT THAT SUPERMARKET FOOD WASTE IS NOT A PROBLEM. The author’s thoughts on the issue are that we need to keep a sense of proportion in the world. Last year we produced over 59,400 tons of food last year. This was enough food for about 119 million meals, enough for two meals per person in America. He states that the amount of food wasted in grocery stores is about 1 percent of the product. In the article Worstall states, “Sure, distributing that 1% to the needy is a worthwhile thing to do, why not? But we do need to understand that it's not an important point” (Worstall, 2016). The author believes we should focus our attention on mainly the harvest instead of on grocers. I disagree with the fact that the one percent is unimportant; However, I believe Worstall is justified in saying that we need to aim our attention on the harvest of food. The author states that from farm to fork an estimated 50 percent of food is wasted.

Here is a link to the article: https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/proof-perfect-that-supermarket-food-waste-is-not-a-problem

Citations

Worstall, Tim. PROOF PERFECT THAT SUPERMARKET FOOD WASTE IS NOT A PROBLEM. Adam Smith Institute, 2016, www.adamsmith.org/blog/proof-perfect-that-supermarket-food-waste-is-not-a-problem.

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We couldn’t agree more with everything your post has stated. One of the main points that your group has made that has stood out to us was some of the ways to implement alternatives to incarceration. At the bottom we attached an article your group may enjoy reading that highlights a lot of the same topics as yours. One thing that this article talked about was the overcrowded populations at these prisons. One thing that stood out to us that did not cross my mind was the revenue that the prisons made for each inmate. For every inmate each prison has they get extra money from that inmate. That being said, this obviously gives incentive to each prison owner to jam pack their prisons for more money, and not thinking twice of the impact it will have on the prisoners and guards trying to maintain a overcrowded facility. Another thing this article states is that a vast majority of the prisoners are facing time in prison for non-violent crimes like drug charges. The system is very flawed if they think that it will do good to throw someone in jail for a number amount of years that is struggling with addiction. They are removing empathy from our prison systems and replacing it with profit margins. What each person needs is treatment from trained professionals in a rehabilitation center. This will not only cut back on the amount of prisoners in each prison tremendously, but give these drug users a better chance at sobriety and recovering their life later down the road. I do agree that a drug user trying to do right would have a better chance in being successful with a rehab center and a clean record, rather then someone sentenced 5 years for drug charges and a felony on their record. This is just one example of many on how our penal system is flawed.  

https://novarecoverycenter.com/addiction/rethinking-prison-for-drug-offenders-alternatives-to-incarceration-2/

Dylan Anderson

“Prison Health Is Public Health” By Austin Newton

The term “Prison Reform” is a blanket statement which encompasses a variety of issues within the criminal justice system in need of reform. The disproportionate prison population of petty drug offenders and marginalized groups needs reforming; the police’s over-focus on impoverished and marginalized communities needs reform; prison conditions and rehabilitative programs within the prisons need reform. Prison reform is a matter of public health, economic conditions and human rights. It is not a term which can be pared down to a singular definition, rather, it is a term which suggests the need for reformation in many areas of the criminal justice system.  Within the scope of our study regarding prison reform lies the monetary sum of accommodating the imprisoned, how correctional institutions and life within them not only affect those incarcerated, but also their families as well as their communities at large, and the public health consequences of unsanitary prisons or prisons which are indifferent to the health considerations of their inmates. However, it is outside the scope of our study to precisely define just how a family or a community is affected by the incarceration of an individual since there are many factors that play into it, such as economic factors and psychological factors. Moreover, we cannot provide the reader with an exact sum relating to the cost of building a prison or the sum total of accommodating a prisoner since the numbers vary with each case. Other considerations that stand outside the scope of our study include which crimes or people can be reformed and which cannot, the individual experience of each prisoner, the inner workings of each prison and how exactly public health is affected by prisons. With this in mind, however, we will do our utmost to provide an extensive, detailed illustration of prison reform and why it matters, for it is an issue that not only affects those incarcerated, but also those who are not.Pr is 

The reader may wonder what prison reform has to do with them, those on the “outs.” After all, most of us tend to assume that inmates have “earned” their green poly core mattress’, their stainless steel sinks and toilets and their cypress wood desks facing an abrupt, white wall. We tell ourselves they’re in there for a reason, that they’ve committed a crime, so why should we care what happens to them in there? What do prison conditions have to with us measured, law-abiding citizens? Well as a matter of fact, it has a lot to do with us. Ever heard prisons referred to as “reservoirs of disease?“ It’s surely not a statement used in vain, for health services in prison are often widely understaffed and tremendously underfunded, which means upon release, a former inmate may carry along with them an untreated disease, such as an STD or TB, and inadvertently expose those within their community to said disease. It should be noted that the prevalence of tuberculosis is one hundred times higher in prisons located in countries with high TB rates among the outside community. The indifference of those in charge of prison health services negatively impacts not only the prison community, but the outside community as well.

It is no secret that imprisonment disproportionately affects impoverished and marginalized communities, and inside these communities are families who are generally in no way associated with the crimes their family members have committed, that is, if they have even committed any crimes, for a vast majority of prison populations comprise of petty drug offenders who are otherwise harmless citizens in need of drug or alcohol rehabilitation instead of a hefty prison sentence. Let’s say a member of an impoverished family who also happens to generate the families’ source of income is arrested on a petty drug offense. This impoverished family will not only lose their primary source of income, but they may also have to pay for a lawyer, food for the inmate and pay for transportation to visit their loved one. So now because of this imprisonment, the family will have to adjust to their loss of income and perhaps fall into debt because of the additional costs they may be confronted with as a result of their loved one’s imprisonment. And this issue extends outside the family sector and encompasses an entire community. Overcrowding is an issue for some prisons, and usually the answer to overcrowded prisons is to build more. How does this effect us on the outs? Our tax dollars finance these institutions, places that may be harboring innocent people or individuals in need of psychological treatment or drug and alcohol treatment. I’d venture to say that most prisoners fall into these categories; what they need is help, someone to assist them in seeing what they did wrong (if they actually did anything wrong), and helping hand to guide them through the process of mending their wrongs, reconciling their crimes and learning to forgive themselves before they’re eventually reintegrated into society. Ex cons usually experience socio economic exclusion after their sentences because of unemployability, which leads them down an endless cycle of crime, poverty, marginalization and imprisonment. Imprisonment causes poverty to prisoners, their family’s and only serves to create future victims and minimize potential economic performance.

“Prison health is public health.” Our broken prison system affects us all, whether we’re in prison or out of prison. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. Believe it or not, I was in the system myself when I was seventeen years old on a distribution charge. They put me in juvenile detention for a night (an utterly dehumanizing experience) placed me under house arrest for a month and slapped me with a year of probation. I didn’t learn a thing, it only reinforced my hatred for law enforcement and our current criminal justice system. I’m not so bitter these days though. While I’m not particularly fond of law enforcement, I wouldn’t say I hate them. Plus I was one of those people who was in there for a reason. Truth is, I was a criminal and I was a danger to those around me, so there’s no use in remaining indignant towards law enforcement. They were doing their job (arresting me) and I was doing mine (being a drug addicted menace to society). But it wasn’t getting my asshole searched or peeing into a cup for a year that “reformed” me. I actually got a lot worse after that experience. What helped me sober up and change my ways was (and still is) a group of people who had also gone through what I’d gone through (drug addiction and criminality) but had gotten out of that life and showed me how they did it. Yes, I’m referring to a twelve-step group. They related to me and showed me how to really apologize, how to really forgive myself and others, and how to be of service to others. I’m not saying the answer to our flawed prison system lies in twelve step programs. What I am saying, however, is that our current criminal justice system is ineffective in reforming individuals and something, whatever that may be, must be done. Changed.

Bibliography:

Iulia.lazar. (n.d.). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/justice-and-prison-reform/prison-reform-and-alternatives-to-imprisonment.html 

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I agree with the fact that everyone should not have to worry about if they are going to have enough money for rent, or if there paycheck will be able to support their families needs. Setting a minimum wage definitely has its pros and cons on society. Raising minimum wage will not only help people that are struggling living paycheck to paycheck make enough to put food on the table, but help people live more comfortably. The US Minimum Wage Movement campaigned that people should be able to work full time on a minimum wage salary and support their families without relying on public welfare. This would help people live more comfortably and not have to use any welfare systems. Unfortunately there are downsides to raising the minimum as well. Raising the minimum wage could potentially put a lot of small businesses out of business due to high employment wages. I am all for raising the minimum wage to better people in our society that are struggling to make ends meet. Having a system that could raise the minimum wage while also giving a break on taxes to small business owners would be a simple solution to this issue. This would be a positive for both parties. Smaller businesses would not have to worry about having to shut down their businesses due to higher employment wages, and people living off the minimum wage would live a lot more comfortably financially. In our readings it says in order for change to happen it needs to be done on behalf of others and society. With having a system like this, it would benefit both small business owners and the people who make minimum wage so that it is a win win.

Dylan Anderson

Blog #2

Identify the Context of the problem: 

The context problem surrounding minimum wage is the simple idea that the minimum wage was created in order to provide employers regardless of whether they are in a union or not a sustainable lifestyle based on the earnings an individual makes. However, this is not the case since many individuals struggle to meet the standard American lifestyle and are forced to work numerous jobs and fall short of necessities because their pay is not enough to maintain an livable lifestyle.

History of the problem

According to lib.umd.edu, the beginning of the concept of Living wage began when American workers came together more specifically Boston ship carpenters in 1675 which lead to funding “of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)” . In 1886, the labor movement promoted the idea of a general “living wage” which would enable all workers, including workers not a part of a union, to support a family, participate in public life, and maintain an “American standard of living” (A Living Wage). What started as $.25 cents an hour after the Great Depression occurred in the 1930’s reestablishing economy from this point and forward, the minimum wage has increased throughout the years to the present moment of $10.75 in the state of Oregon. The minimum wage will continue to increase due to the labor movement Fight for fifteen where all efforts are being brought together to have the minimum wage increase to $15 an hour eventually and hopefully fulfill the concept of being able to live a standard living on one’s own expense.  

Actions that have been attempted and which actions are current and underway?

http://livingwagecampaign.org/about/

The living wage campaign is a national campaign fighting for every state to receive a decent living wage.

http://www.basicrights.org/news/lets-make-sure-all-oregon-workers-make-a-living-wage/

This is an organization called Basic rights Oregon and they are fighting for equal rights of the LGBTQ community. Lori Rodriguez visited Salem, Oregon in person to attempt to talk to senators and state legislation to appeal them to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. 

**find articles or newspapers targeting audiences impacted by the problem

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ABOUT/Documents/ship/Mini%20grantees%20-%20strategic%20issues%20docs/livingwage.pdf

This is an amazing document from Oregon government department of health stating the use of Oregon poverty based on the low amount of income and living wages.

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/11/could_you_live_on_oregons_mini.html

This is an Oregon live article discussing the issue of having the second highest minimum wage at $9.75 (article is from 2015) and the issue of that not being enough to live off of in Portland.

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/12/06/how-oregon-works-4-pathways-to-a-living-wage.html

Here’s another article, it talks about a “successful” method to earn a proper living wage.

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/06/oregons_minimum_wage_jumps_75.html

This article from Oregon live talks about the most recent minimum wage jump from  1970-2018 Oregon Legislation, talking about the protesters on the power of 15 to minimum wage jumps from

Highlight TWO organizations found in the search that address issue locally

http://livingwagecampaign.org/

Although not local, living wages campaign fights for living wages across the country to ensure everyone has a right to a livable wage paycheck.

Fighting for Fifteen, an organization that is a locally funded organization in Portland and is fighting for the minimum wage to be raised to $15 an hour in the near future no matter if legislators are trying to propose and dismiss these petitions. One of their main concerns is for employers to be able to sustain themselves after a financial bankrupt that occurred in the United States in 2008 where many lost almost everything and are slowly trying to recover but due to low wage set in Oregon and the over price housing utilities and rent in Oregon is becoming it is harder for these individuals to be able to live a stable much less financial lifestyle where they can afford luxury such as go out to eat or do something other than work.

Work Cited

A Living Wage. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.lib.umd.edu/unions/labor/living-wage

Bühler, P., Schlaich, P., & Sinner, D. (2018). Living wage. Oregon Department of Health. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-54615-4

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/12/06/how-oregon-works-4-pathways-to-a-living-wage.html

Rogoway, M., & Rogoway, M. (2018, June 29). Oregon’s minimum wage jumps Sunday. Retrieved from https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/06/oregons_minimum_wage_jumps_75.html

Theen, A. (2015, November 09). Could you live on Oregon’s minimum wage or $15 an hour? (interactive). Retrieved from https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/11/could_you_live_on_oregons_mini.html

The Fight for 15 Is Not Over. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.uniteoregon.org/fight_for_15

What is the history of the minimum wage? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-history-minimum-wage

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The food Pantry at Portland State works with local grocers to donate food to students. These food items would be thrown out if it were not for this program. This program serves two purposes. It prevents food waste, and it helps students save money on their groceries.

Check out how Portland State is preventing food waste, and helping feed our students:

https://www.pdx.edu/insidepsu/free-food-on-campus

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Urban Gleaners is helping prevent food waste in the community. They work with restaurants and grocery stores to donate food to less-privileged local kids and families. They collect donations, and products that would be thrown off the shelf.  

Here is an article showing what Urban Gleaners is doing for the Portland community:

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/2/27/how-urban-gleaners-fights-hunger-in-portland

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Blog Deliverable #2

Context of the Problem

About ⅓ of all food produced is estimated to be wasted, costing us billions of dollars. Why is this an issue? Because billions of people all over the world go starving each meal and don't know where they will get there next meal. It is estimated that 1 and 9 people on the earth are malnourished. In Portland it is estimated that 14.6% of the population faces food insecurity. This is a huge problem that needs to be taken into consideration. Not only is food waste an issue economically, but it is terrible for our environment as well. Destroying forested areas for farmers to grow crops that in turn may not even be eaten is a big problem.  Animals are driven out of their forests while landscapes for crops grow, causing near distinction to some species of animals. Not only is food waste bad for our ecosystems, but it is a huge problem in the waste of water as well. It is estimated that 25% of the water used for crops is used to hydrate crops that are wasted.  

History of the Problem

Utah State University created an map of centuries of food waste. In their findings they have found that food waste has been an issue for thousands of years. Up until the late 1800’s food waste was not a wise decision for most citizens in the United States. Native Americans and pioneers would use almost every part of the animal just so they could survive. They would turn the fur into clothing or bedding. They would use bones to make broth, and smoke leftover meat to make jerky. Jerky has a much longer shelf life so it allowed them to make the best use of the animal. These pioneers would also use the organs, feet, and many other parts to make stews with the bone broth. They even used the fat of the animals; However, they used the fat to make soap instead of food products. They would pickle many of their vegetables and make preserves with fruits to preserve shelf-life. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s when food waste became an issue.

When the industrial revolution that food waste was a noticeable issue. America was now able to produce everything faster than ever. The faster it was produced the cheaper it was. This made food more accessible and cheaper, so food waste followed shortly after. Food was being produced very quick and it came to a point where they had to ban leaving food garbage in the streets. Since then it has been normalized to buy in bulk and waste what you do not eat. Thanksgiving is a perfect example. It has become about making a feast that is not possible to finish. Food waste is only getting worse and is having a negative impact on our environment; Therefore, we need to change our ways to protect our environment by being a more effective consumer.

What’s Being Done?

Oregon Food Bank, Urban Gleaners, and PSU Pantry  are  organizations that are addressing the issues of food waste. What these organizations do is feed the hungry people of the Portland, Oregon. Urban Gleaners reclaimed over 1,000,000 lbs. of food last year alone. They gave this food to local undeserved communities to combat food waste and hunger. They are able to work with local grocery stores and give out food that would otherwise be thrown out. They have food donated to the organizations for the people that are without food, to cut back on food waste. They collect food from not only donations but large corporations as well. These nonprofits are intended to feed the hungry, while also cutting back on wasted food.

Organizations Websites

http://urbangleaners.org/give-food/

https://www.pdx.edu/insidepsu/free-food-on-campus

https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/

Citations

Utah State University. (2018). Food Waste: Popular Culture and Today. Retrieved from http://exhibits.usu.edu/exhibits/show/foodwaste/intro

OLIO. (2017). The Problem of Food Waste. Retrieved from https://olioex.com/food-waste/the-problem-of-food-waste/

"Hunger in Oregon." Oregon Food Bank, 2016, www.oregonfoodbank.org/our-work/hunger-in-oregon/.

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The pie chart is provided by the EPA. It shows us food production accounts for a lot of our foot print in the United States. If we can reduce our food waste we can also bring down our emissions footprint. 

The second diagram shows us all or most of the places food can get wasted. Many people think of food waste as throwing food at home away, but it is so much more. Food waste comes from grocery stores throwing away products that do not look up to standard, in-efficient means of harvesting, and so much more. 

Pie Chart -   United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Sources of Greenhouse Emissions. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Food Waste Diagram -  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 2014, www.fao.org/platform-food-loss-waste/food-waste/definition/en/.

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The Effects of Food Waste in Portland

Food waste is defined as, “part of food loss and refers to discarding or alternative (non-food) use of food that is safe and nutritious for human consumption along the entire food supply chain, from primary production to end household consumer level” [1]. In America we currently waste between 30 to 40 percent of the food we produce [2]. Food waste affects every community across the United States, and Portland is no exception. Portland is a very fun spot for people across America and other countries to come explore the wonderful food scene we have to offer. With this said, with all the fun there are downsides. Businesses alone are responsible for 100,000 tons of food waste each year which is only 55% of Portland’s total food waste [3].   Now we have to wonder, what are some of the issues that come with such a large amount of food waste? Unnecessary food waste can lead to unnecessary hunger. If we were able to reduce how much we throw out we could donate the extra food to those who cannot afford enough food. Portland’s large homeless community would be greatly impacted by donations from a reduction in food waste. There are a few organizations, such as Urban Gleaners, who are combating this problem; however, there is still a large population that is being undeserved. Secondly, if we reduce the amount we throw out we can reduce the amount we produce. The reduction of food production would benefit our environment by bringing down the amount of greenhouse gases that are associated with the production of food. As of 2016, about 9 percent of the United States greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture which does not include the use of transportation of these food products [4]. The Portland community prides itself on being “green,” so if we can help reduce our food waste we can also help the footprint we leave on the environment. Lastly, as a community built near our beautiful rivers we need to keep our water sources clean. Agriculture uses fertilizers that can easily contaminate the water used to hydrate the plants. The runoff from fields can contaminate surrounding creeks and rivers; Therefore, affecting the wild-life that thrives in our communities rivers and creeks [2]. This is one of the many consequences that come from our unnecessary and excess food production . If we produced less food the run-off would be reduced by a large amount. Portland is currently working on reducing food waste with a focus on restaurants. In an article written by the city of Portland nine different chefs were interviewed to show ways they prevent food waste in their kitchens in hopes to spread the message. In this article chefs used methods such as the one used by HUB brewery, “[o]ur kitchen has always been very conscientious of food waste but we still felt that too many food scraps were making it into the compost. We pay close attention to food waste and track it where possible so we can be smart about purchasing” [5]. This shows that some restaurants are beginning to be conscious of their food waste, but I believe we still need to make a better effort. If we can strengthen our effort we can support our homeless community, better our environment, and keep our rivers clean.

References and Citations

[1] - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 2014, www.fao.org/platform-food-loss-waste/food-waste/definition/en/.

[2] - Washington Post. (2018). The staggering environmental footprint of all the food that we just throw in the trash. N.p.: Chris Mooney. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/18/americans-waste-about-a-quarter-of-the-food-they-buy-and-the-environmental-consequences-are-staggering/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.675

[3] - Cook, Dan. Wasted. Energy and Environment, 2017, oregonbusiness.com/100best/companies/100bestlogos/item/18016-wasted?showall=1.

[4] - United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Sources of Greenhouse Emissions. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions

[5] - City of Portland. (2018). Tips from your peers: How 8 restaurants minimize food waste. Retrieved from https://www.portlandoregon.gov/sustainabilityatwork/article/679341