Second Saturday Seminar: Reducing Our Food Waste with Erika Gonzalez

Second Saturday Seminar: Reducing Our Food Waste with Erika Gonzalez
Saturday, May 13 • 10AM-Noon
During this workshop, Erika Gonzalez will talk about her current work with World Wildlife Fund and share resources available to prevent food waste in the hospitality and tourism industry. After her presentation, we will give your coffee grounds a second life by making a homemade coffee scrub using coconut oil and essential oils, and discuss other uses for your everyday food scraps! You may bring your own coffee grounds or they will be supplied as needed.

Erika Florida International University alum, from where she received a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, a certificate in Environmental Studies. Additionally, she has been certified by The CLEO Institute as a climate change speaker. She now works as a Program Associate on World Wildlife Fund’s Food Loss and Waste team, taking the lead on hospitality and food service projects. This work includes partnerships on food waste with businesses including Four Seasons, Sodexo, Royal Caribbean Group, and Starbucks.

As a student, Erika founded the “Soustainability” Club at FIU, which bridges the gap between future environmental scientists and hospitality leaders, promoting sustainable habits in the kitchen and while dining out. She has served as an environmental and sustainability advocate in several functions, including through a corporate sustainability role at Costa Farms, an intern at FIU’s Office of University Sustainability, and volunteer for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

During her past 10 years living in South Florida, Erika has become passionate about our unique ecosystems and the community, and believes that regenerative food systems play a very important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. She has a soft spot for the hospitality and tourism industry and knows that it can play a huge part in making Miami a more resilient coastal county.

Free to attend, please RSVP.