Land O’Lakes and Spoiler Alert Honored by Fast Company for World Changing Innovation
Land O’Lakes, a leader in the food industry, and Spoiler Alert were recently featured as honorees in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards for their collaboration in streamlining food donations and reducing waste.
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About
Land O’Lakes, Inc. is an American member-owned agricultural cooperative founded in 1921 and headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota. One of the largest producers of butter and cheese in the U.S., the co-op serves farmers and consumers through its dairy foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, and WinField United agricultural businesses.
Industry
Food & Beverage / Dairy
Headquarters
Arden Hills, Minnesota, USA
Land O’Lakes, a leader in the food industry, and Spoiler Alert were recently featured as honorees in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards for their collaboration in streamlining food donations and reducing waste. The partnership was highlighted in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its innovation in addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the food industry: getting perishable products into the hands of those who need them most.
Using Technology to Solve a Critical Challenge
For years, Land O’Lakes faced the challenge of managing surplus dairy products with limited shelf life, often making it difficult to donate unsold food before it expired. As food waste continues to be a major issue in the U.S.—where 40% of food ends up in landfills—companies like Land O’Lakes knew they needed a better solution to get more food into the hands of those in need.
By leveraging Spoiler Alert’s solution, Land O’Lakes has streamlined the process of selling short-dated inventory and donating what remains.
Results That Speak Volumes
Since working with Spoiler Alert, Land O’Lakes has donated 3.6 million pounds of food, surpassing their 2030 goal of 3 million pounds in just one year. The efficiency gained has also resulted in significant cost savings—$112,000 in freight costs and nearly $200,000 in recycling and landfill fees were saved in 2023 alone. With this early success, Land O’Lakes has expanded its Zero Hunger goal, now aiming for 15 million pounds of product donations by 2030.
Driving Innovation, Reducing Waste, and Supporting Communities
“The Land O'Lakes Foundation and Dairy Foods team used Spoiler Alert's technology to increase donations fivefold and simultaneously decrease food waste,” says Sheilah Stewart, SVP and General Counsel at Land O’Lakes. “We are honored by Fast Company's recognition of this innovation that has allowed us to further invest in the fight against hunger.”
Managing surplus dairy products with limited shelf life made it difficult to donate unsold food before it expired.
For years, Land O’Lakes faced the challenge of managing surplus dairy products with limited shelf life, often making it difficult to donate unsold food before it expired — a problem compounded by an industry where 40% of food ends up in landfills.
Streamlining the sale of short-dated inventory and donation logistics with Spoiler Alert.
By leveraging Spoiler Alert’s solution, Land O’Lakes streamlined the process of selling short-dated inventory and donating what remains. Streamlining workflows and logistics turned a manual donation-coordination process into an efficient one, allowing Land O’Lakes to increase its impact in less time.
Sheilah Stewart
SVP and General Counsel, Land O’Lakes
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