Podcast Title: TED Talks Daily
Episode: The Delicious Potential of Rescuing Wasted Food | Jasmine Crowe-Houston
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Host: Elise Hu

Introduction

In this insightful episode of TED Talks Daily, host Elise Hu converses with Jasmine Crowe-Houston, the innovative founder of Goodr, a company dedicated to combating food waste and alleviating hunger across the United States. Jasmine shares her journey, the challenges she faced, and the impactful solutions Goodr offers to create a more sustainable and equitable food system.

1. Jasmine's Journey and the Birth of Goodr

(03:29 - 06:25)

Elise Hu begins by highlighting Jasmine's transition from creating a pop-up restaurant for the homeless in Atlanta to founding Goodr. Jasmine recounts an enlightening experience where distributing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches revealed the complexities of serving diverse populations, including those with allergies and dietary restrictions. This realization spurred her to establish a more dignified and effective method of providing food to those in need.

“I thought we just made a thousand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and nuts are one of the number one allergies… I created this pop-up restaurant where I would rent tables and chairs and linens and print out menus and let people feel like they were dining at a restaurant.”
(03:57)

2. The Scale of Food Waste and Its Implications

(07:35 - 09:17)

Jasmine delves into the alarming statistics of food waste in the United States, emphasizing that 30 to 40% of all food produced ends up in landfills. She compares the volume of wasted food to being the third-largest country in terms of food waste, highlighting both the economic burden—nearly 2% of the US GDP—and the environmental impact.

“If food waste itself was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world… nearly 2% of all US GDP we spend on food that, you know, we never even eat.”
(07:47)

3. Goodr’s Dual Approach: Diverting Waste and Combating Hunger

(06:25 - 09:38)

Goodr operates on a two-sided business model aimed at addressing both food waste and hunger. On one side, the company assists businesses in diverting edible food from landfills to nonprofits, providing detailed data on environmental benefits such as reduced CO2 emissions and carbon footprints. On the other side, Goodr focuses on creating sustainable solutions like free grocery stores in schools and meal delivery systems, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when they ensured students received food while learning remotely.

“We have a two-sided business model as it relates to food waste… we are delivering it directly to people in need while giving all of our clients back a lot of data.”
(06:32)

4. Overcoming Corporate Hesitance and Scaling Operations

(09:56 - 12:10)

Jasmine explains the initial challenges in persuading corporations to participate in food donation programs, primarily due to concerns about liability and logistical complexities. Goodr mitigates these concerns by handling liability issues, providing necessary packaging materials, and offering a seamless platform for tracking donations. This approach not only fulfills corporate sustainability pledges but also ensures genuine impact, effectively countering practices like greenwashing.

“A lot of times it's trying to hold people accountable. It’s about keeping their promises.”
(11:53)

Goodr has successfully scaled operations to 15 states and 26 markets by leveraging existing infrastructure and technology, avoiding the need for a large fleet of drivers.

5. Integrating Technology for Efficient Logistics

(12:32 - 15:26)

Technology plays a crucial role in Goodr’s operations. Their proprietary app allows businesses to easily track and manage excess food donations by calculating the weight and value of donated items. This data is then used to provide detailed reports on environmental impacts, such as carbon footprint reduction, and to ensure transparency and accountability in the donation process.

“Our platform is calculating the approximate weight of those items… and once that food gets picked up, a non-profit receives it.”
(12:49)

Jasmine also highlights the use of the shared economy by utilizing external drivers instead of maintaining their own fleet, enhancing flexibility and scalability.

6. Choosing a B Corp Structure for Greater Impact

(15:27 - 17:03)

Jasmine discusses the strategic decision to operate as a B Corporation rather than a traditional nonprofit. This structure allows Goodr to scale more effectively and engage more deeply with businesses, facilitating better integration and impact. The B Corp status supports Goodr’s commitment to a triple bottom line—prioritizing people, planet, and profit.

“We are a triple bottom line. We’re for people, we’re for planet, and we are for profit.”
(16:41)

Conclusion

Jasmine Crowe-Houston’s work with Goodr exemplifies a transformative approach to tackling the intertwined issues of food waste and hunger. By bridging the gap between excess food and those in need through innovative logistics and technology, Goodr not only feeds the hungry but also significantly reduces environmental impact. Jasmine’s insights underscore the importance of accountability, sustainable business practices, and the potential for scalable solutions to create a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “I thought we just made a thousand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and nuts are one of the number one allergies…”
  (03:57)

• “If food waste itself was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world… nearly 2% of all US GDP we spend on food that, you know, we never even eat.”
  (07:47)

• “We have a two-sided business model as it relates to food waste… we are delivering it directly to people in need while giving all of our clients back a lot of data.”
  (06:32)

• “A lot of times it's trying to hold people accountable. It’s about keeping their promises.”
  (11:53)

• “Our platform is calculating the approximate weight of those items… and once that food gets picked up, a non-profit receives it.”
  (12:49)

• “We are a triple bottom line. We’re for people, we’re for planet, and we are for profit.”
  (16:41)

Jasmine Crowe-Houston’s dedication through Goodr offers a beacon of hope and a model for sustainable, impactful change in addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time.