Join Us: Action-X-Impact Sustainability Forum: The Future of University Foodservice & Sustainability

Christy Cook

4 days ago5 min read

Don't miss our next upcoming forum, The Future of University Foodservice and Sustainability

Can't join us Live? The full recording of all AxI sessions are available on the AxI Sustainability Forum YouTube channel.

4xi's Chief Sustainability Officer, Christy Cook

At 4xi, we tackle sustainability challenges head-on through actionable conversations and our Sustainability Simplified approach. That’s why I launched the Action x Impact (AxI) Sustainability Forum - to empower foodservice leaders to see sustainability as a strategic opportunity.

With over 25 years in foodservice, I’ve witnessed both its challenges and triumphs, and this forum helps organizations move from reactive to proactive strategies. - Christy Cook.

Let’s explore key highlights from the discussion from our first forum, and how upcycled foods are revolutionizing foodservice.

Our last forum, Upcycled Foods: Transforming Food Service with Sustainable Solutions, brought together industry trailblazers to discuss the power of upcycled foods in reducing waste, creating economic opportunities, and driving climate solutions while delighting customers.

Cross-Cutting Themes: Upcycling for Impact

Throughout the session, several key themes emerged:

Adoption at Scale: Increasing the use of upcycled foods across foodservice operations is essential to lowering costs, normalizing these products, and accelerating systemic change.
Collaboration Across Stakeholders: Successful integration of upcycled products requires buy-in from procurement teams, chefs, and consumers, demonstrating the importance of partnerships.
Tangible Benefits: Upcycled foods align with consumer demand for clean-label, climate-friendly options. They also reduce waste and provide financial, operational, and marketing advantages. Financial savings can be recognized in labor savings, reduction in waste management fees, wasted food reduction, and, oftentimes, product cost. 
Innovation in Action: Rethinking waste as a resource has led to exciting new products that deliver on taste, sustainability, and operational ease—delighting customers while supporting environmental goals.

Key Insights from Our Panelists

Dr. Lara Ramdin: Setting the Stage

Lara highlighted the environmental and social urgency of reducing food waste, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. She noted that the U.S. wastes the equivalent of 147 billion meals annually while 47 million people go hungry around the world every day.
She emphasized the growing market for upcycled products, projected to reach $97 billion by 2031, and the unique role of chefs and foodservice professionals in driving this movement forward.

Anna Hammond (Matriark Foods): Turning Surplus into Solutions

Anna shared how Matriarch Foods repurposes surplus produce into clean-label, upcycled products like vegetable broth concentrates and passata. These products reduce waste and provide cost-effective solutions for chefs.
She stressed the importance of partnerships with distributors like Sysco to scale the adoption of upcycled foods and noted that chefs play a critical role in integrating these products into creative, impactful menu offerings.

Jeremy Kaye (Spare Food Co.): Culinary Innovation for Sustainability

Jeremy introduced Spare Food Co.’s groundbreaking Spare Burger, a blend of grass-fed beef and upcycled vegetables. This product not only reduces waste but also lowers cholesterol and saturated fat while enhancing flavor.
He highlighted the cost-saving potential of upcycled products, from reducing labor and waste hauling to supporting sustainability reporting needs like Scope 3 emissions.

Memorable Quotes

Here are a few quotes from the discussion that truly resonated:

“In fact, Jeremy and his brother, Adam and Anna are the founding members founding members of the Upcycle Food Association and the movement itself. So, you really have some OGs, in the upcycling movement here. I'm the Chappell Roan to Anna's Madonna. Let's put it that way.” - Dr. Lara Ramdin

“Take a chance, take a risk on new companies with new products by doing things differently in their operations. Matriarch brought to market a vegetable stock. Look at what Spare Food Co. is bringing to market—a beef burger. These are understandable products. We're not asking chefs, operators, or diners to do anything different. We're enhancing the experience in so many ways.” - Jeremy Kaye

“We saw an opportunity to build a business that could A) divert waste from landfills, B) create better economic opportunities and equity for regional farming systems, and C) increase access to healthy food for more people. We just make great food from great food.” - Anna Hammond

And my personal favorite from the session:

“It always stuns me when people show us data that they've gotten from research, and the top criteria that they tell us time and time again is, ‘The food has to taste good.’ I wish I could say, ‘No shit, Sherlock!" - Jeremy Kaye

Call to Action

The AxI Sustainability Forum is more than a discussion - it’s a movement. Here’s how you can take action today:

Start Small: Test one upcycled product in your operations and measure impact.
Collaborate: Align goals across teams and explore partnerships.
Educate: Share the story of upcycled foods with customers and staff.
Engage: Work with innovative partners like Matriarch Foods and Spare Food Co.

Ready to make sustainability simpler and more actionable? Contact me about Sustainability Simplified, and let’s transform your operations today.

We want to hear from you! What sustainability topics are you most interested in exploring?

What Do You Want to Learn Next?

We’d love to hear from you! What sustainability topics are you most interested in exploring? Your ideas could shape future AxI sessions. For example, would you like to dive into:

Zero waste strategies for foodservice
Innovations in plant-based menus
Sustainable sourcing and procurement practices

Let us know - together, we can continue to transform foodservice, one sustainable solution at a time.

CHRISTY COOK

Christy is 4xi's Chief Sustainability Officer in Residence is the lead of Sustainability Simplified©. Christy specializes in ESG Advisory, Strategies, Sustainability Road Maps, Measurement, Systems, and Reporting.

Contact Christy to Learn More about Sustainability Simplified

To learn more about Sustainability Simplified© and 4xi visit our website: who we are, what we do, and how we inspire a brighter future, together: www.4xiconsulting.com

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