Exploring Solutions to Combat Food Waste and Insecurity in Higher Education : Food Equity Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Abstract

Food insecurity is a global phenomenon that affects a wide range of people and is a significant concern for Americans. Students in higher education also grapple with food insecurity and can struggle to access nutritious and regular meals due to tuition, housing, and other competing costs. The purpose of the programs described in this project is to build food equity and increase students’ well-being. In the first “food rescue” program, leftover food is packaged from on-campus cafeterias and donated to the university food pantry where students have access to the food for free. The second program, “Free Food Alert” utilizes a mobile application that sends out email and push notifications to students who opt into receiving these updates. Notifications are sent when leftover catered food on campus is available for students to have. The implementation of these programs has already helped numerous students who are facing food insecurity by giving them access to free food in addition to reducing food waste from campus functions. It is important that college campuses continue to recognize the impact of food insecurity to their students and prioritize food access through programs like these.