Retaaza was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic and out of the Public Innovation subcommittee on the Georgia Innovates Taskforce - convened by Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan to ensure Georgia becomes the innovation capital of the east coast. We wanted to find a solution to the food waste issue farmers were facing especially during the pandemic and help hungry Georgians struggling to afford food.

We are a woman and minority owned social enterprise that is working to make local food more accessible and affordable. We  directly support our communities’ farmers. We reconnect consumers to their food. And we feed families struggling with food insecurity.

What makes us different is that we bring security and stability to both ends of the supply chain by buying, selling, and donating fresh local Georgia food. Think of us as a local food connector. We buy food from Georgia farmers - premium, seconds or ugly veggies, and potentially wasted food - and sell it to businesses and organizations that want to use fresh food.

We are a farmer’s just in time resource for their wasted food. We pay farmers a fair price that they set. This solution brings them increased economic stability and diverts the food from landfills which helps with carbon and other greenhouse emissions.

We are also able to donate, or at least lower the cost of food, for organizations working with food insecure Georgians.

There are three ways to work with us:

1. Corporate Wellness - Organizations can purchase fresh local produce for their stakeholders whether it's employees, clients, or the community. Think of this as a really awesome employee benefit. It’s providing fresh food for employees on a regular basis. It also helps hit CSR and ESG goals.
2. Wholesale - If a business is already using food that they buy from a distributor, they can work with us to supplement what they are buying as fresh food is seasonally available.
3. Kitchen Consulting - We help businesses figure out how to use fresh food and re-work processes already in place.

Retaaza addresses multiple problems within local food systems, beginning with the accessibility and affordability of local food. The current food system supply chain is optimized for cost efficiencies and national scale distribution, but that often leaves local food out of the equation without a streamlined logistics and distribution network. Agriculture is Georgia’s top industry, contributing approximately $75 billion to the state’s economy each year and providing food and fiber for people all over the United States and world -- yet 1 in 8 Georgians experience food insecurity, including 1 in 7 children (Feeding America). Additionally, 8% of seniors in Georgia are food insecure, and 36% of Georgians are food insecure but are above 185% of the federal poverty line, making them ineligible for food assistance programs (Atlanta Community Food Bank). Food insecure people are marginalized by the current food system structure and often only have access to cheap, processed, unhealthy foods. Consumers increasingly want local food products, but they are not always easy to find or purchase.

Agriculture is Georgia's biggest industry at $75M+ annually, though our farmers are often left out of this success. Every year farmers are faced with the tough options of leaving food in the field unharvested or picking the crop and throwing it out in a landfill. This happens for a variety of reasons. They are not paid for all the food they plant, just the food that they sell.  

Retaaza supports a diverse demographic reach across Georgia - from farmers and rural communities to underserved communities and urban populations. Approximately half of Georgia’s population is in the metro Atlanta area, with the other half spread out among other cities and rural communities. Our dynamic approach to food system innovation ensures that we can positively impact people across the demographic spectrum in Georgia.

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