food and climate action (füd and ˈklī-mət ˈak-shən)

noun

: efforts that connect food systems with climate solutions to reduce waste, improve nutrition, and strengthen communities

Climate Action Starts With What We Eat

There is nothing more personal in the fight for climate action than the choices we make around our daily sustenance. Yet most cities and towns have vast stores of unused produce. Roughly 30–40% of food in the United States isn’t eaten, equating to nearly 120 billion pounds of wasted food, or $218 billion in lost value each year.

And that’s just the food we buy. There are untold tons of food growing in yards and public spaces that go unharvested and unused.

CLASP surveys communities to identify opportunities for more effective, equitable food networks that support residents and reduce waste. With better planning, education, and coordination, communities can address hunger while lowering emissions and improving resilience.

From Education to Infrastructure

We help communities build the educational programs and infrastructure needed to produce food for the community, within the community. By strengthening local food systems, we support improved nutrition, reduced waste, and deeper community engagement.