How business can help us to Stop Wasting So Much Food!

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back!

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Ben Kuethe Oaks, the Vice President and General Manager of Divert, an impact technology company on a mission to protect the value of food. We waste a staggering amount of food here in America—something like 40% of everything we produce. Meanwhile, there are over 40M food insecure households in America alone and millions more around the world. Something is not right here! 

Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.

I wanted to have Ben on the show to learn more about Divert’s inspiring mission and business and to try to understand just how our food economy evolved to such an inefficient situation. Divert—a company building sustainable business models that prevent waste, provide more for the food insecure, and use food waste as a sustainable fuel—is an inspiring example of the power of using business as a force for good.

Tune in to this important episode to learn: 

• What “circular economy” means and how Divert is using circular principles to create a whole new kind of capitalistic enterprise

• How we waste such a staggering amount of food in this country and why it’s such a huge problem (i.e. food insecurity, rapidly shrinking landfill capacity, methane emissions, and farming economics)

• What Divert is doing to try to ameliorate the situation and why they are so optimistic they can make a big difference

&

• Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to learn how an usual childhood interest in dairy farming led Ben to his path as a mission-driven business leader focused on the food economy. If you are interested in learning more about the history behind the evolution of this crazy food wastage situation, check out Ben’s Tedx talk.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in! 

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Keywords

food waste, circular economy, renewable energy, Divert, sustainability, food insecurity, anaerobic digestion, composting, technology, environmental impact, food systems, circular economy, food waste, sustainability, business model, food insecurity, environmental impact, supply chain, community support, renewable energy

Summary

In this conversation, Ben Kuethe Oakes, Vice President and General Manager of Divert, discusses the company's mission to combat food waste through innovative solutions in the circular economy. He highlights the staggering statistics surrounding food waste in America, the multifaceted nature of the problem, and the role of technology in reducing waste. The discussion also covers consumer responsibility, policy implications, and the environmental benefits of anaerobic digestion compared to traditional composting. Oakes emphasizes the importance of collaboration and infrastructure in addressing food waste and its impact on food insecurity and climate change. In this conversation, Ben Kuethe Oaks discusses the evolution of food systems, the importance of a circular economy in food production, and the challenges of food waste management. He shares his personal journey from working on dairy farms to leading Divert, a company focused on reducing food waste through innovative business models. The discussion highlights the role of businesses in addressing food insecurity and the need for collaboration to create sustainable solutions.

Takeaways

• Divert aims to prevent food waste through a circular economy model.

• Landfills are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

• Food waste is a significant economic and social issue in the U.S.

• Divert is building facilities to process unsold food and generate renewable energy.

• Technology plays a crucial role in understanding and reducing food waste.

• Consumers contribute to nearly half of food waste in the U.S.

• Policies like California's SB 1383 are pushing for better food waste management.

• Composting and anaerobic digestion have different environmental impacts.

• Divert's approach integrates data technology to optimize waste management.

• The historical context of food waste reveals a complex evolution in the food system. The food system has evolved from hyper-local to a complex supply chain.

• Understanding the consequences of food distribution is crucial.

• A circular economy model is essential for sustainable food systems.

• Sustainability must have economic incentives to be effective.

• Landfill capacity is a pressing issue that needs addressing.

• Subsidized systems have led to inefficiencies in food production.

• Collaboration is key to reducing food waste at scale.

• Divert aims to create infrastructure to manage food waste effectively.

• The journey from dairy farming to food waste management is interconnected.

• Business models can drive significant change in food insecurity.

Titles

• Transforming Food Waste into Renewable Energy

• The Circular Economy: A Solution to Food Waste

• Understanding the Scale of Food Waste in America

• Divert's Innovative Approach to Food Recovery

Sound Bites

• "We're a circular economy company."

• "40% of food gets wasted in America."

• "This is a multi-faceted problem."

• "Prevent, provide, power."

• "It's a complex problem."

• "We were hyper local."

• "The consequences are hard to see."

• "Landfill capacity is diminishing."

• "We've created a subsidized system."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Divert and Its Mission

02:54 Understanding Food Waste and Its Impact

05:47 Divert's Business Model and Solutions

08:48 The Role of Technology in Reducing Waste

12:08 Consumer Responsibility in Food Waste

14:54 Policy and Infrastructure for Food Recovery

17:56 Comparing Composting and Anaerobic Digestion

21:08 The Future of Renewable Energy from Food Waste

24:01 Historical Context of Food Waste in America

26:00 Circular Economy in Food Production

30:40 The Challenges of Food Waste Management

34:00 Ben's Journey from Dairy to Divert

37:52 Divert's Vision and Future Goals

43:57 The Role of Business in Solving Food Insecurity