On the morning of Monday, September 22, Food Tank will host the “Climate Action: A Food Waste Breakthrough” Summit during Climate Week NYC, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Apeel, Flashfood, American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), and ReFED.
The invitation-only event will bring together policymakers, scientists, food industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, and cultural influencers to explore the intersection of food loss and waste, climate action, consumer behavior, and scalable innovations.
“Reducing food waste is a fast, cost-effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions while boosting food security, saving households and businesses money, and easing pressure on land and water. The Food Waste Breakthrough shows that governments, cities, businesses, and financiers can align on climate action and deliver real gains for people and planet,” says Hongpeng Lei, Chief of the Mitigation Branch, Climate Change Division at UNEP.
“We can’t talk about climate change without talking about the role of food loss and waste as a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, but also how doable and achievable it is for us to reduce food loss and waste to drive meaningful, positive change! Our ability to healthfully and sustainably feed the world depends on our collective actions, and [this Climate Week] event is a great opportunity to dive into the diversity of solutions that are making a difference,” says Luiz Beling, CEO of Apeel.
“We should not live in a world where people go hungry and food goes to waste. In the US, between 30 and 40 percent of food we produce ends up in a landfill, while at the same time 47 million people—including 1 in 5 children—are experiencing food insecurity. This problem is solvable,” says Jordan Schenck, CEO of Flashfood. “Flashfood is on track to divert more than 27 million affordable meals to our shoppers this year alone.”
The morning will feature panel discussions around a wide range of food waste topics, ranging from “Nudging Smarter Consumption” to “Scaling Food Waste Solutions Through Cross-Sector Collaboration.”
For Dana Gunders, President of ReFED, the Summit’s timing is important: the Summit will remind attendees at the start of Climate Week that food waste is a key part of any climate discussion.
“Reducing food waste is like a Swiss Army knife in that it solves a lot of issues at once, from improving operational efficiency at businesses to being a top solution for addressing climate change. That’s why it is the perfect topic to discuss at the start of Climate Week—reminding the innovators and changemakers in the room that action on food waste is action on climate—and we can make a difference now,” says Gunders.
Alison Bodor, President and CEO of AFFI, emphasizes the importance of frozen foods in preventing food waste, especially for consumers.
“Freezing is such an easy solution to reduce food waste. It allows for a longer shelf life for produce, and pre-portioned meals help reduce leftovers that go to waste,” Bodor tells Food Tank. “In fact, consumers report that frozen foods help them reduce their waste and save money, and that having frozen meal ingredients on hand helps to have more food in the house without risk of spoilage.”
Held in the Greene Space at WNYC-NPR Studios, the event will begin with breakfast at 9am, followed by programming from 9:30am to 12pm, and lunch until 1pm.
Confirmed speakers and moderators include U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, MD; Jamil Ahmad, Director, New York Office, UN Environment Programme; Somini Sengupta, international climate reporter at The New York Times; Michael Grunwald, Food & Climate Columnist at Canary Media and contributing writer for The New York Times Opinion; Harry Chrispin, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Hilton; Dana Gunders, President, ReFED; Alison Bodor, President and CEO, American Frozen Food Institute; Stacy Blondin, Behavioral Research Associate, World Resources Institute; Jordan Schenck, CEO, Flashfood; Roni Neff, Professor, Johns Hopkins University; Jilly Stephens, Chief Executive Officer, City Harvest; Caleb McClennan, President, RARE; Elliott Wolf, VP and Chief Data Scientist, Lineage Logistics; David Rogers, International Director, WRAP; Luiz Beling, CEO, Apeel Sciences; Lorena Lourido Gomez, IKEA Food Manager and 12.3 Champion; Corby Kummer, Executive Director of the Food & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and senior editor at The Atlantic; and Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank.
The event will include a youth poetry spotlight by 10-year-old Prahlada Rastogi, winner of the 2025 Stop Food Waste Day Youth Poetry Competition, and a special performance from Antoine L. Smith, Broadway actor and singer (MJ the Musical, Carousel, Miss Saigon, The Color Purple, Cinderella), accompanied by Deah Love Harriott, Broadway music director and conductor (for colored girls… at the Booth Theatre).
This summit will be streamed live on FoodTank.com and Food Tank’s YouTube Channel, here. Join the Food Tank newsletter list for reminders, and click here for Food Tank’s full lineup of events at Climate Week NYC 2025.
