Sustaining communities, nourishing lives

Rethink Food is an NGO based in New York whose mission is to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Since its creation in 2017, it has distributed more than 30 million nutritious, culturally relevant meals across six cities, channelling $138 million to more than 145 local partner restaurants that prepare meals for vulnerable communities, 90% of which are either owned and/or run by minorities or women. In line with its commitment to transforming the food system by reducing food excess, the organisation has recovered nearly 1,200 tonnes of surplus food, thus saving over 3,000 tonnes of CO₂.

The aim of the "Sustaining communities, nourishing lives" project is to enable Rethink Food to improve the infrastructure of its Sustainable Community Kitchen and expand its meal-preparation programme designed to reduce food excess and address food insecurity in New York.

Among other things, this initiative involves modernising the kitchen’s primary equipment and strengthening the organisation’s transport and logistics capabilities to optimise its operational efficiency and the sustainability of its work, particularly in terms of waste management. These changes will boost meal production and delivery capacity, while reducing energy consumption.

The funding awarded to Rethink Food will also support the preparation and distribution of hot, nutritious meals to communities experiencing food insecurity across New York City. This will enable around 36,000 additional meals to be served over two years, helping to support a significant proportion of the 200,000 meal requests across the city. This collaboration allows Rethink Food’s partners to focus their resources on other essential support for underserved communities, amplifying its impact and creating lasting change in New York’s food system.