CINCINNATI, Oct. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) announced today a Zero Hunger | Zero Waste partnership
with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the leading global conservation
organization, to introduce a food waste prevention and recovery
curriculum for K-12 students in U.S. cities.
Wild Classroom is WWF's signature education program and it is
aimed at providing environmental curriculum for teachers and
parents to use with students. Through the Kroger Co. Foundation's
$400,000 grant support, WWF is
expanding its food waste prevention and recovery curriculum within
the Wild Classroom program, focusing on promoting food conservation
education and best practices. Branded as the Food Waste Warrior
Toolkit, the classroom-friendly curriculum aligns with USDA and
state educational standards and turns the school cafeteria into a
classroom to inspire students to become Zero Heroes by making a
lifelong commitment to reduce food waste.
"There is a fundamental absurdity surrounding the amount of food
we waste and the number of people who go to bed hungry in America,"
said Jessica Adelman, Kroger's group
vice president of corporate affairs. "It is essential that we teach
children to recognize this disparity early on, and more
importantly, what they and their families can do to be a part of
the solution. WWF is a trusted partner in our Zero Hunger | Zero
Waste journey, and we're optimistic the new Food Waste Warrior
Toolkit will begin to incrementally transform households and
communities across the country."
An estimated 63 million tons of food goes to waste every year in
the U.S., with 90 percent or more ending up in landfills. As part
of its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan, Kroger will act
as the main funder for the Food Waste Warrior Toolkit, launching in
Atlanta, Cincinnati, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake
City, and Seattle. New
cities will continue to be added to reach more students and
educators.
Last year, WWF led a pilot program in Washington, D.C. Students and teachers tested
the Food Waste Warrior Toolkit to assess their food waste and the
resulting impact on the environment. The inclusive curriculum spans
across science, math, ecology, conservation, and sustainability—and
is free for educators.
"WWF and Kroger are uniquely equipped to address the complex
issue of food waste and this program represents a call to action to
get our kids thinking differently about food," said Pete Pearson, Sr. Director of Food Waste at WWF.
"Our Food Waste Warrior Toolkit leverages resources like the USDA
Student-Led Food Waste Audit guide and ultimately helps students
become more aware of the connection between food waste and its
impact on our habitat, wildlife and planet."
If you are interested in partnering with The Kroger Co.
Foundation and WWF to help present the Food Waste Warrior Toolkit
curriculum to a school in one of the selected cities, WWF
encourages you to submit your proposal here.
To learn more about Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, visit
www.thekrogerco.com. Follow the journey at
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we
are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We
are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million
customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and
2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving
America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.