(WASHINGTON, DC)  Food took front stage in downtown Washington, DC Wednesday, May 18 attracting office workers, people living with homelessness, foodies, and tourists to two events – Feeding the 5000 DC and Path to Zero Waste: Organic Waste Summit – to raise awareness of and identify solutions for food waste and hunger. The events, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center are a unique partnership among District government agencies, foundations, non-profits, and businesses. They also are part of the Department of Public Works’ continuing celebration of the 2016 National Public Works Week, which runs from May 15-21.

Feeding the 5000 DC, planned by Feedback and DC Central Kitchen, fed 5,000 people with food sourced entirely from fresh top-quality produce that otherwise would have been wasted. The afternoon Organics Waste Summit, hosted by the Department of Public Works, in partnership with sister agencies and non-profits, assembled local and national policy experts and advocates to discuss best practices in organic waste management. Together, these two events will help create an agenda for the District community to more effectively use organic resources, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.

“Today, we want to create a better understanding about opportunities and benefits of reducing organic waste, and demonstrate our support for reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. We also want to celebrate the launch of the District of Columbia Food Policy Council and generate ideas for the District’s zero waste plan,” said DPW Director Christopher J. Shorter. “The District of Columbia adopted a bold vision to divert 80% of all solid waste through source reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion. Accomplishing this goal requires the collaboration of District agencies, business, non-profits, residents, and our neighboring jurisdictions. I believe we can create a solid waste management system for the 21st century, and organic waste is a key component of the District’s waste stream.”

“By coordinating the Feeding the 5000 DC and the Organics Waste Summit events, the community will be able to see—and taste—for themselves how food is wasted every day and then hear real solutions from policy experts on what can be done to address this issue,” said Tommy Wells, Director of the Department of Energy &Environment.
Both events build on last year’s Path to Zero Waste summit and are aligned with newly adopted goals of the United Nations, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Agriculture to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. The events also help promote the goals of the District’s sustainability plan, Sustainable DC, which includes goals and actions to reduce waste while increasing the District’s diversion rate.

Feeding the 5000 DC
Feeding the 5000 DC provided a free lunch and a variety of activities, including cooking demonstrations from top chefs, smoothie-making on bike blenders, interactive quizzes, and stalls featuring a variety of information and personalities from partner organizations.

Feeding the 5000 is the food-waste fighting organization Feedback’s international flagship campaign. Its events showcase and promote positive and delicious solutions to the global food waste crisis. Feedback has teamed up with partners like The Rockefeller Foundation, DC Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchen Projects and many other amazing organizations to bring this event to DC.

About the Department of Public Works
The Department of Public Works (DPW) mission is to provide environmentally healthy municipal services that are both ecologically sound and cost effective. DPW provides essential city services in two distinct program areas: environmental services/solid waste management and parking enforcement. Both contribute to making our District streets and public spaces clean, safe, attractive and accessible for all residents, businesses, commuters and visitors.

About the Department of Energy & Environment
The mission of the Department of Energy & Environment is to improve the quality of life for the residents and natural inhabitants of the nation’s capital by protecting and restoring the environment, conserving our natural resources, mitigating pollution, increasing access to clean and renewable energy, and educating the public on ways to secure a sustainable future. The agency’s core responsibilities include, but are not limited to, enforcing environmental regulations; monitoring and assessing environmental risks; developing energy and environmental policies; issuing permits; and providing residents and local businesses with funding, technical assistance, and information on initiatives designed to ensure a more resilient and sustainable city.

About the District of Columbia Food Policy Council
The District of Columbia Food Policy Council’s mission is to identify regulatory burdens on the local food economy, collect and analyze data on the food economy and food equity, promote positive food policies, guide organizations and attract new participants to the local food economy, assist individuals already participating in the local food economy, and achieve the food goals identified in the Sustainable DC plan.