Food waste is a global problem with a universal challenge: solutions that work in pilots routinely fail to scale. In the current global context—with food and fertilizer prices rising, and a looming El Niño shock this year—in 2026, we have to make the most of every single crop and vegetable we grow. Drawing on CARE's new research across 21 countries and Starbucks' award-winning FoodShare program - which rescues food daily from stores across North America - this session examines why scaling food waste solutions is hard, what the barriers look like at opposite ends of the global food system, and what corporate-nonprofit partnerships can do to close the gap between a good idea and lasting change.
What you will learn:
- Understand why food loss and waste solutions stall after the pilot, and the four drivers that determine whether they scale; drawing on CARE's research across 25+ projects in 21 countries.
- Learn what it took for Starbucks' FoodShare to grow from a pilot into a daily practice across North American stores, including the operational friction and what the team would do differently.
- Gain a practical framework and the data to make the internal case for corporate-nonprofit partnerships that stay engaged through the "messy middle," and investing in systems change.
Can’t join in real time? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording!