Surplus as a Solution to Scarcity: Building a Healthier Food System

Authors

  • Nourhan Ibrahim Sharing Excess, University of Pennsylvania
  • Victoria Wilson
  • Evan Ehlers

Keywords:

Food Security, Sustainability, Nonprofit organizations, food waste, hunger relief

Abstract

Philadelphia-based nonprofit Sharing Excess (SE) addresses the dual challenge of food waste and food insecurity in an innovative and sustainable way. Partnering with over 200 food businesses nationwide, they've rescued and distributed 26 million pounds of surplus food to nourish over 1 million people to date. By focusing on fresh produce, they've enriched food bank offerings while diverting over 87 million pounds of CO2 emissions. Beyond this, SE's approach integrates with businesses, creating cost-efficient models while engaging volunteers and community partners. This food rescue model offers an innovative solution to food insecurity, promoting greater health equity in underserved communities.

Author Biographies

Nourhan Ibrahim, Sharing Excess, University of Pennsylvania

In her role as Director of Development at Sharing Excess, Nourhan works with the executive team to spearhead fundraising strategies and manage organizational development and strategic growth across core programmatic areas. She is interested in exploring solutions to systemic inequities in food and water access and enjoys working collaboratively to explore avenues for sustainable development. She holds a B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and is an MPH/MES candidate at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in environmental health.

Victoria Wilson

Victoria is the Operations Director and co-founder of Sharing Excess, and an entrepreneur from Philadelphia with dreams of making the world a better place through the sharing of resources. Inspired by co-founder Evan Ehlers, the pair joined forces to bring the vision of Sharing Excess to new heights. Three and a half years later, she is responsible for managing 25+ employees, raising $550,000 in donations, scoring partnerships with Grammy award-winning artists, and helping rescue and distribute over 20 million meals to communities facing food insecurity.

Evan Ehlers

Evan is the founder and Executive Director of Sharing Excess. While attending Drexel University as a student studying entrepreneurship & innovation at the Close School, Evan decided to donate all his unused meal swipes from his dining account before the end of the term. After driving around Philadelphia giving away his meals for free, he realized a great need for food in his community and a massively untapped potential to share perfectly edible food that was going to waste. This day changed his life forever and was the inspiration for SE. Through SE and other entrepreneurial endeavors, Evan plans to dedicate his life to solving the barriers that prevent people from accessing the basic resources they need to live healthy and happy lives. 

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Published

2023-10-17

How to Cite

Nourhan Ibrahim, Wilson, V., & Ehlers, E. (2023). Surplus as a Solution to Scarcity: Building a Healthier Food System. Social Innovations Journal, 21. Retrieved from https://socialinnovationsjournal.com/index.php/sij/article/view/6593

Issue

Vol. 21 (2023): Health Equity: Institutions and Local Ecosystems Responding to People and Society Needs

Section

Place Based Health Equity Strategy and Practices

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Nourhan Ibrahim, Victoria Wilson, Evan Ehlers (Author)

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