This week, I was able to swing an interview about food waste and insecurity amongst college students with the very busy Ms. Gabrielle May, MSW. Gabrielle is currently studying at Lewis and Clark college to earn her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.
As a graduate student from the University of Iowa, Gabrielle helped lead the Hawkeye Meal Share program, which encouraged students to donate their extra meal swipes to students facing food insecurity. This was and continues to be a highly sought after program, as many college students across the country struggle with food insecurity. Gabrielle was also a research assistant on a project looking at food insecurity on campus. The Hawkeye Meal Share program presents an opportunity for students to utilize meal swipes that would otherwise be unused, which is important considering how much food is wasted on college campuses per year… in 2017 it was reported that 22 million pounds of food are wasted each year on college campuses. Yikes.
Q: Before working on the Hawkeye Meal Share program, were you aware of how much food gets wasted on college campuses?
A: When I was an undergraduate student, I had noticed how much food got thrown away in the dining halls but never realized how much got thrown away behind the scenes. Unless you worked for the university housing and dining, there was no information at all about any kind of food waste or how much got thrown out.
Q: What inspired you to look further into food waste and food insecurity during your graduate practicum?
A: I worked at a local food bank that absorbed a lot of the community donations of expired food that was still completely edible. After that, I got interested in food insecurity amongst students, which is a largely overlooked problem that affects a ton of students. My research touched on the use of food pantries and food banks as well, which are important because they keep a lot of food from being thrown away or wasted.
Q: From your research and experience in the field, what are some ways students, on and off-campus, can reduce their food waste?
A: Definitely not loading up their plates in the dining hall (proper proportions). If your university does not have a program like the Hawkeye Meal Share, try to communicate with your friends and make sure your meal swipes get used. For off-campus students, I would recommend planning out your meals. This means overall buying less food and paying attention to proportions. I would ask students to donate unused food in their homes to their local or campus food pantries.
