Voedselcirkel Amsterdam
About us
We connect Food Circle partners with food that is nearing its expiration date by collecting it from suppliers.
In addition, we are working on the following
Sustainable Development Goals:
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Food hub
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FoodWiki residual streams system
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Redistribute surplus food
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Contact suppliers
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Making transport future-proof
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Visibility & Findability
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Contact with food initiatives
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Making food waste streams visible
Why
In the Netherlands, 2 billion kg of food is wasted annualy! This occurs throughout the food chain, from the field to the plate. (source: Food Waste Monitor Update 2009-2018).
Those 2 billion kilos of food equates to approximately 5.5 billion kilos of CO2 emissions. In 2030, the Netherlands has commited to halving food waste, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of the United Nations. This means reducing food waste by 1 billion kg per year in the Netherlands, a significant challenge, but achievable!
On the other hand, over 500,000 out of 7.5 million Dutch households live below the poverty line, according to CBS. Many of them skip a warm meal a few times a week. At the same time, an increasing number of people in the Netherlands feel lonely. In 2020, 47% of adults in the Netherlands reported feeling lonely. A worrisome percentage.
Food Circle Amsterdam is determined to embrace a circular and social food chain. We bring together surplus food and the demand for food, with a purpose. We take incoming ingredients and distribute them to social kitchens that prepare meals for the homeless, lonely elderly and people with limited financial means. This not only reduces CO2 emissions by combating food waste, but actively contributes to combating loneliness and poverty.
Impact, Commitment and Growth
32,000 kg
1,003,500 kg
saved food per month
CO2 reduction per year
272,000 kg
food rescued
Voedselcirkel Amsterdam launched a distribution network in 2022 and has since saved 940,000 kilos of food, which is equivalent to a reduction of 23,500,000 kilos of CO2 emissions.
In the coming years, we aim to develop a fully-fledged food hub in Amsterdam, enabling even more food to be saved and contributing to social initiatives in Amsterdam's neighborhoods.
Together we are creating a circular, social food chain. We want to collaborate with other cities, sustainably for each other.
So help out!
DONATE money or resources
HELP a food circle partner
BECOME a food circle supplier
Foundation Council
Jeffrey Spangenberg
Chair
“In a city full of abundance, scarcity is not a logistical fact, but a systemic flaw that we can solve together.”
Treasurer
Transparent figures and sound financial governance are essential to sustainably safeguard our social impact in Amsterdam.
Anton Boonstra
Secretary -
Logistics, ICT & Supply Chain Setup
Experience only gains true societal value when you use it to design processes smarter and structurally prevent waste.
Board Member -
Strategy & Financial System Innovation
Systemic change only occurs when you link social impact to scalable financing models and a well-thought-out long-term strategy.
Co-founder / Founding Mother
If you speak to participants more often and they sense that you are trustworthy, there is also room for conversation. This allows you to help people even better.
Team
Leonie Verkleij
Food Hub & Logistics Coordinator
I use my knowledge and experience with great energy and enthusiasm to organize food flows, guide volunteers, and build collaborations with food initiatives.
Vincent Paul
Organization, online admin, fundraising & logistics “Social values are central. When you give people the space to organize and create themselves, you have true collaboration.”
More info about the board & team: Jeffrey Spangenberg - Chairperson Anthropologist, business administrator. Focuses on strategic alliances with knowledge institutions (HvA, VU), municipal policy, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, and the overall management of the foundation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyspangenberg/ Manouk van der Meulen – Treasurer Registered accountant with extensive experience in audit, reporting and finance (incl. PwC). Oversees the financial integrity, budgets, accountability and compliance within the board. www.linkedin.com/in/manouk-van-der-meulen-809a024b Anton Boonstra - Secretary - Logistics, ICT & Chain Organization Over forty years of experience in Supply Chain & ICT, since 2003 as an independent interim manager in the food sector. His focus lies on smarter organization of storage, sorting and distribution to reduce food waste and make food available for supporting organizations. Thomas Horn - Board Member - Strategy & Financial System Innovation Background in sustainable finance & investment, innovation in transition domains. Actively working to establish and scale an innovation and investment platform in Food & Agritech (including Foodbytes, Carbon Bank) and as a committed Amsterdam resident motivated to help local initiatives move forward. https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashorn/ Vincent Paul – Project Leader Online Organization, WebAdmin & Fundraising. Medical anthropologist and sociologist, Scientist at UMC Amsterdam. Researches the protein transition and how we keep each other healthy. Organizer of logistics, data and first point of contact. Initiator of various initiatives and designer of https://www.voedselwiki.nl/ Leonie Verkleij – Coordinator Food Hub & Logistics The operational core on the floor at Papaverweg 46. Responsible for daily goods flows, HACCP quality monitoring, managing the moving and sorting crew, and direct contact with suppliers and the 77 neighborhood kitchens. Leonie is an experienced project manager and producer from Amsterdam, specializing in events and community-driven initiatives. With her strong organizational skills, practical approach, and broad network, she effectively connects people, resources, and logistics. Additionally, she is a plant-based lifestyle coach and has completed various health and sports training programs, building extensive knowledge in the area of (plant-based) nutrition, movement, and vitality. As coordinator at Voedselcirkel Amsterdam, she puts her positive, decisive attitude and strong commitment to sustainability, health, and social impact. She is a natural connector in the fight against food waste and food poverty. Vidary Koster – Co-founder / Founding Mother Financial expert (incl. at Dentons). During the corona crisis she noticed that there were still many people who didn't have enough money to do their daily groceries. I then started my own initiative in the Waterlandplein neighborhood. At first it was very practical: collecting food from large companies and distributing it to people who needed it. It was really a temporary project, but at the same time became involved in a larger network, through which we founded Voedselcirkel Amsterdam.