2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
June 11-13, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Yvette Cabrera
Director, Food Waste
NRDC
Bio:
Yvette Cabrera has worked in food systems for more than decade. At NRDC, she oversees engagement on federal, state, and local food waste policy, and cutting-edge research on food waste. Before joining NRDC, Cabrera worked on food loss and waste at the Rockefeller Foundation. Cabrera holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree from New York University. She is based in New York City.
Schedule
Wednesday, May 20
1:30pm - 2:30pm
"Building the Foundation: Infrastructure Solutions for Food Waste Diversion"
Breakout
Composting facilities, anaerobic digesters, and other post-consumer diversion infrastructure represent the critical last line of defense against food ending up in landfills—yet in much of the country, that infrastructure simply doesn't exist at the scale needed. The gap between the organic waste being generated and the capacity available to process it responsibly remains one of the most stubborn challenges in the food waste field. This session takes a hard look at what it will take to close that gap—examining the policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and public-private partnerships that are either accelerating or impeding infrastructure development across the country. Panelists will share what communities and states leading the way have gotten right, what barriers continue to stall progress, and how advocates, investors, and policymakers can work together to build the diversion backbone that a waste-free food system demands.