Food Waste Intelligence

I often get asked, “Chef, how can I motivate my staff to track their food waste?” It’s a good question, and one that comes up often. My simple answer usually is “You can’t.” I am a firm believer that you can’t motivate, but you can inspire. Motivation vs. Inspiration is a well documented topic and one that often leads me back to heated debates I used to get into when I served as the Dean of Culinary. Culinary leaders and chefs often fail to understand a simple fact of human nature: people are intrinsically motivated beings. My student...

When “sustainability” became a regular topic in the foodservice industry about ten years ago, it was common to group the conversation neatly into sub-components: energy, water, waste, food sourcing, and community engagement (among others). This was all new for most, and the learning curve was steep in each area. Operators wondered: where should I start? What matters most? Everyone made their own choices because there was no hierarchy within sustainability.

As the food waste movement continues to grow, more and more people around the world understand just how pressing the issue of wasted food is. From consumers, to foodservice managers, to chefs and beyond, everyone has a role to play in reducing food waste and loss along the supply chain.