Guest Blog Post by Fumi Tosu, Co-President, TABLE FOR TWO USA, New York, NY

The global population is projected to surpass 9 billion by the middle of the century.  Combined with rising incomes, the world will face unprecedented constraints on basic resources such as food, fresh water, and energy sources.  There is a critical need for innovative models to address emerging global issues.

TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) tackles the opposing issues of malnutrition in developing countries and obesity/overconsumption in the developed world through a unique “calorie transfer” model.  TFT partners with corporate cafeterias, university dining halls and restaurants, designating a healthy, slightly low calorie “TFT meal.”  The reduced calories are monetized, and 25 cents per meal is donated to provide one school meal in Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa.

TFT recognized an imbalance in the global food system and reallocates resources from one part of the world to another, simultaneously addressing health issues on both sides of the spectrum.  It takes the “one for one” model one step further, with benefits to those on either side of this imaginary “table.”

TFT is also a rare charity that allows individuals (employees at corporations, students at universities, and customers at restaurants) to contribute to a cause within their daily lives.  The bar for doing good is lowered; all you have to do is to simply choose the healthy option.

These unique attributes, combined with the ease of implementation, have led to rapid growth in TFT across the world.  Founded in Japan in 2007, the program now operates in 17 countries, with over 12 million meals served on each side of the table.

We like to say that when you dine at TABLE FOR TWO, you never dine alone!