Mid-Year Reflections: Five Things to Celebrate

This year has been flying by, and with so much happening in the food waste space, it can be hard to keep track of all of the news and updates. Yet looking back on the last six plus months, we’re feeling proud of some “big wins” for ReFED and the food waste movement broadly. Progress is happening. Momentum is building. And as ReFED President Dana Gunders said in the announcement of our 2026 U.S. Food Waste Report:

“With higher food prices, Americans are looking for ways to extend their grocery dollars. Using up more of what they’re already purchasing and wasting less is proving to be one of the most accessible ways to do it. At the same time, food waste reduction is recognized as a business decision with a material impact on the bottom line for food businesses, prompting them to elevate the issue to the C-suite and boardroom. The wind is at our backs, and it’s time to step on the gas.”

As we reflect on the first half of the year, here are five things that highlight these tailwinds and the opportunities for continued action ahead:

1. ReFED published new reports that show progress on food waste reduction at the national level. In February, the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a collaboration led by ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund, released its annual impact report showing reductions in food waste nationwide by grocery retail and foodservice companies in 2024 compared to 2023. Then, in April, ReFED released its 2026 U.S. Food Waste Report, which showed a nationwide reduction in food waste, driven by a 950,000-ton reduction in residential food waste. And in May, ReFED, in partnership with The Spoon, published a first-of-its-kind landscape assessment of how AI is currently being applied to food waste reduction, where it is delivering measurable results, and where its impact remains constrained.

2. ReFED received a 2026 James Beard Foundation Impact Award, recognizing changemakers actively working to create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. In March, ReFED was honored to receive a 2026 James Beard Foundation Impact Award alongside four other amazing recipients: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, Senator Ben Ray Luján, and Southern Smoke Foundation. Beyond the prestige, this is so meaningful to our team, as it recognizes the work we've done alongside the restaurant industry, from the restaurant-focused ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund (CGF) open call to the US Food Waste Pact to supporting solutions that help restaurant operators engage their staff and reduce waste.

3. ReFED and partners released new research that shows restaurant owners and operators who offer portion customization have an opportunity to cut costs and attract new customers. Starting in January, ReFED and partners, including Datassential, Georgetown University, and the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, began publishing research that builds the business case for restaurant owners and operators to offer portion customization, a strategy with significant potential to reduce food waste. ReFED’s modeling estimates that offering different portion sizes at restaurants has the potential to reduce 2.35 million tons of food waste annually while saving the foodservice sector $547 million.

4. ReFED hosted the 2026 Food Waste Solutions Summit, where the conviction and commitment to solving food waste were on full display. In May, ReFED held its annual Food Waste Solutions Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, gathering nearly 700 attendees for three days of inspiration, insights, and action. “The core conviction of this group to help food go to its best use creates an impact that is bigger than the food itself,” noted ReFED President Dana Gunders in her keynote address, and that conviction was tangible during the three days. [Watch the recordings of mainstage and breakout sessions from the 2026 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit.]

5. For the first time, ReFED published priorities for how the federal government can drive progress on food waste reduction. In June, ReFED published a piece, A Bipartisan Path to Increase Affordability, Maximize Income for Farmers, and Improve Soil Health: ReFED’s Food Waste Policy Priorities, by Policy Director Kumar Chandran, that outlines very concrete actions that the U.S. Congress can take in this congressional session and beyond to drive progress on food waste and help constituents. While this is the first time ReFED has published standalone policy priorities and is a significant milestone for the organization, even more importantly, the policy recommendations included within still resonate on both sides of the aisle.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors and partners. We are so grateful for your continued partnership in our mission to solve food waste. If you’re passionate about building a better food system that makes the best use of the food we produce, you can learn more about supporting our work here.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, we feel confident that the tailwinds will continue and momentum will build behind the movement to solve food waste. If you want to follow along, sign up for our mailing list to stay in the know on all of the food waste wins and latest news.