by Suzanne Potter
Worldwide, 40 percent of food is wasted but a new candy company is trying to make a dent in it and fight climate change to boot.
The company is called Climate Candy and their Faves fruit chews are made from imperfect-looking fruits and vegetables.
Amy Keller, CEO of Climate Candy, said about 10 percent of all greenhouse gas comes from landfills, where food waste rots and produces methane.
“20 billion pounds of produce goes to waste each year, simply because they are excess, or not perfectly shaped for grocery stores,” Keller pointed out. “Meanwhile, climate change is escalating, people are going hungry. We found this to be unacceptable, wasting so much food, all while running out of land, water and healthy soil.”
In 1906, Keller’s family founded Spangler Foods, which makes Dum Dum lollipops, Circus Peanuts and Sweethearts. In 2018, she combined the family business with her interest in global health and cofounded Climate Candy. She noted her goal is to reduce food waste, and thus lower the amount of land disturbed to grow crops, while helping farmers sell their full harvest.
Keller explained Climate Candy is about making a lower carbon footprint, sustainable packaging and upcycled ingredients.
“If we can just help people realize their power, in our highest potential solution to heal ourselves and the planet is just what we choose to eat,” Keller asserted. “That includes all of us. That’s really been our secret to success.”
The candy is made from a puree of carrots and beets and flavored with many different fruits, including cherry, apple, blueberry, raspberry, lemon, orange and strawberry.
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Mobile units aim to ‘Make Summer Fair’ for rural low-income kids
Mobile units are rolling out in rural California communities this summer to help keep kids engaged and combat learning loss.
The nonprofit Save the Children’s “Make Summer Fair” campaign provides books and educational resources in areas where summer learning opportunities are limited.
Lucero Chávez Ramírez, California state director for Save the Children, said kids can lose two months’ worth of learning while school is out.
