Our Impact
.webp)
Spheres of Impact
.
Farms
Increased economic stability for
Georgia farmers.
Hunger
Enhanced public health for people across the state.
Planet
Increased access to healthy food that is less environmentally harmful and more equitable for all.
Where We Come In
Food insecurity and wasted food are two of the biggest challenges faced by our country. We're forging connections between community stakeholders to enable farmers to profit, connect organizations to low-cost produce for their stakeholders, and create a pipeline of fresh, healthy foods to food-insecure individuals and families.
We are constantly exploring partnerships and programs that can have a tangible, direct impact on the people of Georgia. Through our partner organizations, we serve Georgians with a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities -- urban, rural, BIPOC, homeless, Latinx, women, children, LGBTQ+, and more.
.webp)
Sustainable Change
%20(1)%20(1).png)
Farms Across Georgia
Retaaza is purchasing fresh, local produce from Georgia farmers of all types - big/small, organic, urban/rural, BIPOC, women-owned - across the state. Week over week our purchasing power with local farmers increases which means our economic impact on rural communities and small business owners increase as well. We are currently working with 47 farms in 35 counties all over Georgia.
A Sustainable Solution
Despite Georgia being a top agricultural producer in the U.S. and agriculture being the state's largest industry at $75B, many Georgians are unable to access nutritious food on a regular basis due mostly to accessibility and cost. Every year in Georgia, 2 million tons of food are thrown away. Of the 40% of food that is wasted, most of it is fresh fruits and vegetables.
Beginning by understanding the reasons for the lack of connection between food producers and consumers in need, we develop sustainable systems and programs that bridge gaps and improve access. We are setting up a self-reliant model that won't disappear.
.webp)
Long-Term Ripples
Consistent access to healthy, whole foods improves overall health for both children and adults and results in better attendance at school and work. This is essential to moving families up above the poverty line and equipping children to change generational patterns of poverty and health issues due to poor diet.
Local farms now have a reliable sales and marketing channel for their produce allowing them to more accurately determine their resource planning for the year, cover the costs of producing their crop for the season, and pay their employees, while further reducing what ends up as wasted or surplus food.
Check out our 2022 impact report
Retaaza Sustainability
Retaaza works towards the health and sustainability of our planet in three main ways. We conduct research to measure our impact and are careful that we are not overstating our efforts. This work is ongoing, and our research and findings are ever-evolving. Currently we are working with Georgia Tech to better understand food waste and the impact on the planet of diversion strategies.
Less Food Waste
In most models, landfill emissions are evaluated over 100 years. Sometimes emissions are evaluated over 20 years. “Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. (Environmental Defense Fund)In landfills, food decays and emits landfill gas (both methane and carbon dioxide) over several years, and the landfill gas has its biggest impacts soon after it is emitted. We take this into account and opt to report our impact using the 20-year time horizon given that we are looking at climate change and its effects now.
Reduced Food Miles
We track all of our routes and compare our fuel use and emissions with typical food transportation from California, Arizona, and Mexico. Our research shows that our locally-sourced fruits and vegetables use less fuel and energy and have less emissions than trucking them from farther away.
More Efficient Farms
Food production is one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Feeding all the world’s people uses an enormous amount of land and that is expected to grow ever larger. Selling more of what is grown on local farms can reduce environmental impacts. By using more of what our farmers grow, we can reduce pressure on the agricultural system because we are eating more of what we are already growing locally.
Nonprofit Partners
Sustainable Development
