Food Shift

Name

Food Shift

Legal name

Food Shift, a Project of Earth Island Institute

Website

https://foodshift.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Recovery and Redistribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Food recovery services
• Food waste consulting
• SB 1383 compliance
• JEDI training services
• Community food redistribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly financial gifts from individual donors. Food Shift receives approximately 20% of revenues from individual donations and corporation matches.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: Grant funding from foundations and institutional funders. Approximately 35% of revenues come from grants.
3. Program Revenue (Consulting): Earned revenue from JEDI consulting services and SB 1383 compliance consulting. Approximately 45% of revenues come from program revenues, unusual for a nonprofit.
4. In-Kind Donations: Donations of food, supplies, equipment, and services from partners that support operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Food Shift recovers surplus fresh food from wholesale produce markets and grocery stores in the San Francisco Bay Area and redistributes it directly to community partner organizations serving food-insecure households. Its three service lines are (1) Operation Together food recovery, (2) SB 1383 consulting for California edible food recovery compliance, and (3) JEDI training, workshops, and advisory services for nonprofits, businesses, and government entities.

Product overview

Food Shift offers a multi-faceted service portfolio centered on food recovery and redistribution, regulatory compliance consulting, and organizational development training. The core offering is Operation Together, their flagship food recovery program that collects surplus food from wholesale markets and redistributes it to community partners. This is complemented by SB 1383 Consulting services that help organizations navigate California's food waste regulations, and JEDI Training services including workshops, advisory engagements, and strategic retreat facilitation. Educational resources include The Food Shift Kitchen Companion, Seasonal Kitchen Guide, and Cookbook, which provide practical guidance on reducing food waste. The organization also operates workforce development programs through apprenticeships and internships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Operation Together: Food Shift's flagship food recovery program that recovers surplus food and redistributes it to communities in need.

Products and services

• Operation Together Food Shift's flagship food recovery program that recovers surplus edible food from wholesale markets (SF Market) and grocery stores and redistributes it directly to 15+ community partner organizations serving neighbors facing food insecurity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Food Shift uses its own vehicles to deliver fresh produce to frontline organizations, reducing the pickup burden on under-resourced partners.
• SB 1383 Consulting Consulting services helping California cities, counties, school districts, and food businesses implement Senate Bill 1383 regulations for edible food recovery and organic waste reduction. Includes compliance guidance, food recovery program design, edible food generator inspections, staff training, and multilingual education in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Japanese.
• JEDI Training Services Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consulting services including customizable workshops, organizational assessments, strategic retreat facilitation, and advisory engagements to help nonprofits, mission-driven organizations, and businesses establish JEDI-based practices. Includes Developing a JEDI Lens workshop, JEDI Advisory Engagement subscription, LEAP Strategic Retreat Facilitation, and Custom Corporate Packages.
• Developing a JEDI Lens Workshop A 2-hour virtual interactive workshop for individuals and organizations working toward anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices. Addresses intersecting forms of bias and embeds equity into organizational culture. Priced at $95/person for community/nonprofit organizations and $150/person for businesses.
• LEAP Strategic Retreat Facilitation Strategic retreat facilitation services that identify organizational core values and integrate them into strategic planning, including stakeholder interviews and customized modules for communication improvement. Requires a $3,950 minimum contract.
• Apprenticeships and Internships On-site and virtual job readiness training programs for individuals overcoming employment discrimination, including food recovery apprenticeships and social enterprise internships with a minimum six-month commitment. Operated in partnership with Alameda Point Collaborative's Workforce Development Program.

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Alameda Point CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Food Shift's physical office at 2550 Monarch St, Building 2 Wing 8 in Alameda. Most neighbors and apprentices are Black and Latine communities served by APC. Partnership includes Farm2Market program and workforce development collaboration.
• City of PittsburgflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSB 1383 consulting client through Plentiful Pittsburg food recovery initiative. Food Shift helped curate an effective food rescue program in Pittsburg.
• City of OakleyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSB 1383 consulting client; Food Shift helped Oakley become one of the first school districts in greater Bay Area to meet SB 1383 standards. Community Development Director describes Food Shift as 'more than just a group of people doing a job.'
• City of AntiochcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSB 1383 consulting client. Environmental Resources Coordinator notes Food Shift's expertise helped reduce waste and ensure compliance.
• RecycleMore (West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSB 1383 consulting partner for West Contra Costa County. Program Manager notes Food Shift's 'breadth of knowledge in the food recovery space' and 'consistent communication, thorough interactions.'
• RecycleSmart (Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered twice with Food Shift for SB 1383 compliance. Program Manager values collaboration and insights from firsthand food recovery experience.
• StopWaste (Alameda County Waste Management Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partner providing custom contract, strategic sessions, and workshops. Also collaborated on Seasonal Kitchen Guide. Food Shift provides multilingual training with materials available in Hindi.
• HF&H ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEDI consulting client with custom contract and workshops.
• Food for Climate LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEDI consulting client with strategic retreat session and workshops.
• Women's Environmental NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEDI consulting client with custom workshop and board training. Client describes workshop as 'eye opening' and 'transformative.'
• San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market (SF Market)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary wholesale produce market source for food recovery. Regular food donations and collaboration on food ecosystem improvements.
• Whole Foods MarketflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular food donor and employer funder. Weekly Whole Foods recovery through Operation Together with apprentices learning inventory systems.
• SafewaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational brand food business receiving SB 1383 training and compliance guidance from Food Shift.
• Gold Bear ProducecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular food donor now fully SB 1383 compliant with Food Shift's help. Donor notes 'they make sure that if we have surplus, it gets delivered to people in need.'
• Farmers' Produce CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular food donor operating at SF Market. Commended for 'professionalism and consistency' and navigating busy market streets to deliver fresh produce.
• Alameda Food BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity food distribution partner receiving recovered food to serve food-insecure households.
• Berkeley Food NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity food distribution partner.
• East Oakland CollectivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organization serving East Oakland neighbors with recovered food. Grassroots programs noted as filling critical niche for vulnerable residents including immigrants.
• CityTeam OaklandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner that accepts prepared food donations (Food Shift refers prepared food donors to CityTeam).
• Mandela PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity food distribution partner serving West Oakland.
• Daily BowlcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity food distribution partner.
• StopWastecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlameda County Waste Management Authority partner collaborating on food waste reduction education, Seasonal Kitchen Guide, and free downloadable date label resources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DC Central Kitchen: Washington D.C.-based nonprofit combining food recovery with culinary job training for adults facing barriers to employment. Operates the same dual-mission model (recovery + workforce development) that Food Shift replicates; founder Robert Egger sits on Food Shift's advisory board, confirming the direct lineage.
• LA Kitchen: Los Angeles-based nonprofit recovering surplus food while providing culinary training for former foster youth and older adults returning from incarceration. Closely mirrors Food Shift's Operation Together + apprenticeship structure and was co-founded by Food Shift advisor Robert Egger.
• Food Recovery Network: National student-led nonprofit recovering surplus food from college and university dining halls and donating to community organizations. Shares Food Shift's surplus-recovery-to-community redistribution model but operates a college-volunteer model rather than staff-led logistics.
• Copia: Technology-driven food recovery platform connecting businesses with surplus food to local nonprofits for pickup. Competes with Food Shift in the same recovered-food redistribution space but differentiates via proprietary software rather than community-led staffing.
• FoodCloud: Ireland-founded food redistribution charity using a tech platform to connect retail donors with charity recipients. Operates Food Shift's same surplus-to-community concept at larger international scale, with government partnerships analogous to Food Shift's SB 1383 consulting work.
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley: Large Bay Area food bank distributing millions of pounds of food annually through a partner network. Direct competitor for food donor relationships and downstream distribution partners in the same geography Food Shift serves.
• Alameda Food Bank: Local food bank serving Alameda residents and an active Food Shift community distribution partner. Direct peer in food insecurity services within Food Shift's home geography.

Broad incumbents

• Misfits Market: For-profit online grocer specializing in surplus and "imperfect" produce to reduce food waste. Operates in the broader food-waste-reduction space but uses a consumer-retail model rather than nonprofit redistribution.

Others

• ReFED: National nonprofit working to reduce food waste across the U.S. food system through data, analysis, and funding — and a documented Food Shift funder. Ecosystem participant that influences the policy and funder landscape in which Food Shift operates.
• StopWaste: Alameda County Waste Management Authority providing education and programs on waste reduction including food recovery. Direct strategic partner of Food Shift on SB 1383 and the Seasonal Kitchen Guide, with overlapping mission in food waste reduction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FoodShift
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodshift
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-shift

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Shift