Upcycled Food Association (UFA) is a global trade association working to prevent food waste by growing the market for products made from ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away.
Founded in 2019, UFA now connects hundreds of member companies, from small startups to major food brands, that transform surplus and “imperfect” produce, spent grain, avocado pits, and other byproducts into new food and beverage products rather than letting them reach landfills, incinerators, or animal feed. Its Upcycled Certified™ label, developed with input from food scientists and researchers at Harvard Law School, Drexel University, and the World Wildlife Fund, gives shoppers a way to recognize and choose these products on store shelves. UFA also publishes industry research, convenes an annual Upcycled Food Month each June, and works to close the gap between consumer intent and awareness: most shoppers say they want to cut food waste, but few yet know upcycled options exist.
Why It Matters: Food loss and waste generate roughly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the most solvable climate problems we have. UFA offers a concrete, everyday way for people to act on that solution simply through the products they choose to buy.
