In this episode of the Future of Food we bring the conversation to Nathan Shaw, an activist from here in Fort Collins who addresses food security from a much more social perspective. Although we focus on his involvement here within the local community, most of the social aspects we cover can be applied across the world. That being said, we spent most of the conversation discussing the minutiae of Vindeket Foods, which a local non-profit Nathan is responsible for founding. It was great to see just how influential a community initiative could be, and hopefully this will encourage our listeners to get involved on the local scale within their own respective regions. Here in America, it’s estimated that nearly 40 percent of all the food we produce goes entirely wasted. Nathans program, though, aims at redistributing as much of this local waste as possible prior to its final disposal.

We focus less on the production of food throughout this conversation, and instead, highlight various other factors pertinent to the food system. When discussing the social implications of food, things like food waste, food distribution, and food insecurity, quickly become recurring topics. By tackling the issues with food from a community approach, we provide our listeners with a more accessible avenue for getting involved on their own.

Although Nathan has a degree in geology, his enthusiasm for dumpster diving encouraged him to pursue another passion: reducing food waste. We currently waste so much food in our community that Nathan can be picky at the dumpster, and he often even considers himself an “organic dumpster diver.” Exposure to this extreme waste encouraged him to redirect his life and make a change that improves our local community. Vindeket is a great way of targeting this waste by coordinating with the local groceries to redistribute food before it gets tossed. Regardless of individual socioeconomic status, anyone and everyone is welcome at Vindeket… So don’t hesitate to stop by next Sunday and save money while reducing wasted food!

If you are interested in further resources, here is a link to some of the information we discussed with Nathan. And of course, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns!

http://www.vindeketfoods.org/
(Here you can find information on Vindeket Foods, as well as information regarding how to volunteer)