Editor’s Note: Second Harvest recognizes volunteers who have demonstrated dedication to our mission through their support with The Essential Harvester Award, one of the categories in the annual Food Rescue Awards event.   This year’s nominees were Jim Kotowich, Nicole Caguiat and Joe Davidson, all of whom have made a significant impact on our success as an organization. Here, we spotlight the story of Joe Davidson, the winner of the 2024 Essential Harvester Award.  While Joe Davidson and his wife were volunteering at a food bank in the Annex, they would often see a Second Harves ..read more

Every year on April 24, people come together to observe Stop Food Waste Day, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the staggering amount of food wasted each day and promoting solutions to combat it. It’s a time for reflection and action, urging individuals and communities to rethink their food consumption habits and embrace sustainable practices in the kitchen. Let’s explore how we can elevate culinary creativity while reducing waste by giving common food scraps a second life.  Watermelon rinds  Instead of discarding watermelon rinds, pickle them with vinegar, sal ..read more

On February 13, we held the second annual Food Rescue Awards, shining a spotlight on the remarkable efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations committed to addressing food waste and hunger in Canada.   Across 14 award categories, this year’s ceremony showcased a diverse array of supporters, each making significant contributions to the cause. Once again, Sobeys won the Food Partner of the Year title, having donated 31 million pounds of surplus food in 2023. The Nikita Foundation received the Impact Milestone Award. As one of our largest partners, they’ve provided million ..read more

During Food Waste Action Week (March 18 – March 24), we celebrate small changes in daily habits that can make a significant lasting impact. This year’s theme “Choose What You’ll Use” is a perfect opportunity to highlight the benefits of buying loose fruits and vegetables, which can be achieved by an effective meal plan.   Why you should buy loose fruits and vegetables   In Canada, 43 per cent of the food we waste at home is fruits and vegetables. That amounts to over 1 million tonnes of food wasted each year, the equivalent of $6.2 billion. Most often it’s the result of bul ..read more

In recent years, the quest for sustainable food sources has led to innovative solutions, one of which is the production of flours made from food scraps. These flours offer a dual benefit: they reduce food waste while providing nutritious alternatives to traditional flours. Coffee flour Coffee flour is made by drying and milling coffee cherry pulp (the fruit surrounding the bean), which is considered a byproduct of coffee processing and often discarded. It offers a unique flavour reminiscent of coffee, adding depth to baked goods. With a small amount of caffeine left, this flour provides a gent ..read more

At a time when environmental consciousness is at the forefront of consumer concerns, businesses are under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices. Sobeys, one of Canada’s leading grocery retailers and Second Harvest’s longstanding partner, has stepped up to the challenge. The company is making significant strides on its sustainability journey by addressing food surplus at both national and local levels.  Sobeys has achieved a 32% reduction in food waste within its retail operations, a milestone toward its goal of a 50% reduction by 2025. In 2023, Sobeys Inc. rescued over 31 mil ..read more

Editor’s Note: Food waste isn’t just a Canadian problem – it’s a global issue with devastating impacts on climate change and hunger. All over the world, countries struggle to ensure good food ends up on plates instead of landfills, and many have developed unique strategies to face this crisis head-on.    In this series of articles, The Harvest Journal will explore food waste policies around the world and highlight what different countries are doing to prevent and reduce waste, build more sustainable and resilient food systems, protect our planet and finally put an end to food waste. We pr ..read more

The Second Harvest Sweepstakes, presented by Moneris, is back from February 6 to March 7, 2024. Each ticket purchase not only places participants in the running for great prizes but also supports Second Harvest’s food rescue and redistribution efforts.  Last year’s line-up included 16 prizes, ranging from luxury resort stays to state-of-the-art household appliances. We reached out to two winners and asked them to share their experiences with the prizes they won.   Dale Yoshida Prize: Raptors Vs Milwaukee Bucks  Two lower bowl tickets to watch the Toronto Raptors as they tak ..read more

Dating back centuries, in Mayan and Aztec cultures, ceremonial cacao (the primary ingredient in our modern-day chocolate) was a sign of love and fertility, gifted to loved ones as a showing of affection.   Today, we identify cacao as a heart-healthy food; dark chocolate (higher percentages of cacao than milk or white chocolate) is high in flavonoids. Also found in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids, particularly the subtype of flavonols, help lower the risk of heart disease.   So chocolate is a great gift to express your affection toward loved ones, but (dark chocolate espec ..read more

In a world where sustainability is increasingly becoming a top priority, addressing the issue of food waste at the household level is an important step towards a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. One effective way to approach this challenge is by setting SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.   Let’s explore how to make food waste reduction in your household a SMART goal.  Specific To make your goal specific, clearly define what aspect of food waste reduction you want to address. Instead of a vague goal like “reduce food waste,” specify ..read more