Food Recovery and Redistribution at Events
What if events could be leveraged not only to reduce waste, but to nourish the very communities where events are located and whose populations often serve as frontline workers?
In today’s evolving landscape of destination stewardship, sustainability is no longer optional—it is a strategic imperative. Destinations International and the Destinations International Foundation are committed to advancing social impact by equipping destination organizations with tools, research and resources that embed stewardship into core strategies. As highlighted in the 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study, intentional event strategies are emerging as a driving force, requiring destinations to consider brand alignment, community impact and long-term legacy while building resilience through regenerative tourism practices.
Industry research underscores this shift: meeting planners increasingly value destinations that prioritize social impact, yet gaps remain in areas such as waste management. Food recovery and redistribution offer a clear opportunity to link sustainability with social responsibility, aligning the needs of destinations, event clients and residents. This toolkit, developed through Destinations International’s Social Impact Framework, provides a roadmap for embedding food recovery into event strategies—transforming events from simple economic drivers into catalysts for lasting, place-based impact.
