Collaborating for a Food Secure, Sustainable California
California Food Recovery Coalition (CFRC)
About Us
Our Mission
Mission
It is our mission to unite, empower, and advance California’s food recovery organizations to alleviate food insecurity, reduce waste, and champion sustainability.
Vision
The California Food Recovery Coalition envisions a California where no one is food insecure, where nutritious surplus food is rescued and redistributed efficiently, and where food recovery organizations thrive with sustainable support.
Goals
We aspire to lead the state in elevating the collective voice of food recovery, influencing legislation to combat food waste and climate change, and fostering local partnerships that strengthen the fight against food insecurity and environmental degradation.
Our Cause
The Tragedy of Food Insecurity and Food Waste
1 in 9
Americans are food insecure in the US
40%
of low income seniors are food insecure in California
$408B
$408 billion worth of food is thrown away every year in the US
30%
of all food produced is wasted in the US
California Food Recovery Coalition’s Common Goals
CFRC is dedicated to the following Goals:
- Impact: Recover nutritious surplus food and redistribute to those in need
- Climate: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change
- Awareness: Raise public awareness about food recovery organizations
- Policy: Educate policymakers and cultivate legislative champions
- Sustainability: Create sustainable funding for food recovery organizations
Our Team
Will Dittmar, Chair
Will is Chairman of CFRC and is Executive Director of ExtraFood. Will leads strategic and business planning; manages key development activities; establishes and conducts strategic partnerships; leads new business initiatives. Will provides leadership around issues such as food insecurity and food waste in the community.
Paddy Iyer
Paddy is the Chair of CFRC and the Executive Director of Daily Bowl. Food waste is an issue that Paddy is passionate about, and as such he lives every day to help reduce food waste, connecting with agencies feeding the food insecure people, and completing the circle.
Eve Nereem Birge, Vice Chair
Eve serves as CEO at White Pony Express (WPE), the food recovery organization on a mission to end food insecurity by delivering the abundance to those in need—with love. Eve has over 25 years’ experience developing policies and administering programs that protect and advance the public health, education, and rights of people who are underserved. She serves on several Boards including the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and the Advisory Council for United Way Bay Area.
David Hott
With an educational background in Collaborative Health and Human Services from the University of California Monterey Bay, David brings extensive work experience in food recovery and corporate leadership. David serves as the CEO at Loaves and Fishes in Silicon Valley, the home of the A La Carte Program. He holds a Board Position on NCRA and is certified as a Practitioner in Zero Waste Principles and Practices from SWANA. David is a member of the Edible Food Recovery Technical Council Exec. Committee of CRRA.
Mike Learakos
Through Abound Food Care, Mike uses his 30+ years of experience in the food industry to facilitate solutions that reduce food insecurity and food waste while improving the health and well-being of people, communities, and the environment.
California Food Recovery Coalition
We are a local non-profit organization that provides support within the community for a food secure, sustainable California.