Our History

From the beginning, ReFED has sought to bring new philanthropic and investment capital, along with technology, business, and policy innovation, to the food waste challenge.

ReFED launched in 2015 as a collaboration of more than 30 industry, nonprofit, foundation, and government leaders committed to reducing food waste in the United States. We were formed to create A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent, the first ever national economic analysis and action plan to tackle the issue at-scale. The first Roadmap was designed to fill the gap between awareness and action by creating transparency in the waste flows, costs, and opportunities of a more efficient food system. These frameworks and methodologies have been adopted or used by over 20 organizations, including Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Canada, Walmart, Deloitte, and Johns Hopkins University. ReFED has since evolved into one of the nation’s leading food waste organizations working to build a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system.

Our Mission

ReFED is a U.S.-based nonprofit working to catalyze the food system toward evidence-based action to stop wasting food.

With a holistic view of the food system and deep expertise in the causes and impacts of food waste, key opportunities in the sector, and where capital can spark the most impact, we engage food businesses, funders, innovators, policymakers, and more to drive systems-level change.

That's because food waste is a systemwide problem, and we all have a role to play in solving it. We believe it's possible—and we'd love to work with you to do it.

Our Values

Our values ground our decision-making, root our actions in a shared purpose greater than ourselves, and are a cornerstone of our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system. At ReFED, we are committed to:

Collaborative Expertise

Collaborative Expertise We convene the food system and leverage the expertise and capabilities of individuals to collectively advance solutions.

Diverse Perspectives

Diverse Perspectives We believe our work is enriched by an inclusive network of diverse and underrepresented voices that help us contribute to our mission.

Credible Data

We provide data that comes from identified sources, is grounded in accessible analyses, and serves as the foundation for impactful solutions.

Practical Ambition

We lead with an entrepreneurial spirit and approach problems and solutions with a strategic and economic mindset.

Tangible Outcomes

Tangible Outcomes We are driven by purposeful action and seek observable results, judging our progress through the achievement of milestones large and small.