Top Chef star uses political clout to change food industry.
This is what woke me up.” In 2012, Colicchio co-founded the Food Policy Action (FPA), a nonprofit organization with the goal of improving food access.
“Coming together, finding a common cause, pooling resources and aligning their vision to support each other is why we started Food Policy Action.” This united front has given unprecedented political clout to what Colicchio broadly refers to as “the food movement,” which until the last few years, he says, was “a loosely organized social movement, not a real political movement.” Now consumers have a means to put their food choices — and their vote — where their values are.
Another initiative was the “Plate of the Union” campaign.
After a short hiatus, the FPA-EF and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revived the Plate of the Union initiative to continue to fight for food reform.
“Everyone eats, and everyone should have a say in what they eat and where it comes from,” says Colicchio, who often took part in the truck initiative.
Said another way: Waste less.
This is absurd on a purely economic basis: Americans waste the equivalent of $165 billion each year in food, according to the NRDC.
We have to become more aware.” Which is why environmental groups, anti-hunger groups and food system reformers such as FPA have issued a call to fight food waste on all fronts.
Imperfect Produce, a produce delivery company based in Emeryville, Calif., collects “ugly” fruits and vegetables — food that does not meet retailers’ cosmetic standards — from farms and sells it at a 30 percent to 50 percent discount.