It's no secret that Westerners consistently overeat and that food portions in the United States are well above what is deemed "normal." Now a social program called Halfsies is setting out to change that.
According to Halfsies, about half of the food produced in the United States is thrown away, with the retail industry alone throwing out $44 billion worth of food every day. Halfsies points out that one in seven people in the world will go to bed hungry, so the program is encouraging people to only eat half of their portions when they visit participating restaurants. Restaurants participating in the Halfsies program will feature a half-sized icon for certain meals, which customers can pay full price for and receive half the meal-- the extra money spent will go toward non-profit organizations fighting the world hunger issue.
The aim of Halfsies is to educate consumers, those in the United States in particular, on the issue of world hunger and food waste. Halfsies hopes that by encouraging consumers in developed nations to eat less, people living in hunger in developing countries can eat more.
Consumption-Cutting Campaigns
Halfsies Wants You to Eat Half-Sized Portions to Fight World Hunger
Trend Themes
1. Food Waste Reduction - Opportunity for food establishments to implement portion control and reduce food waste by promoting half-sized portions.
2. Social Sustainability - Chance for businesses to support non-profit organizations through consumer purchases to combat world hunger.
3. Consumer Education - Demand for initiatives that raise awareness among consumers about the global issue of hunger and encourage mindful eating.
Industry Implications
1. Restaurant Industry - Restaurants can adopt the Halfsies program and feature half-sized icon meals to contribute funds to fight world hunger.
2. Non-profit Sector - Non-profit organizations can collaborate with Halfsies and receive financial support to address the issue of world hunger.
3. Food Retail Industry - Opportunity for food retailers to join the food waste reduction movement and implement portion control strategies.