100 WATER HEROES: DR. LIZ GOODWIN

Senior Fellow and Director of Food Loss and Waste for the World Resources Institute

By Kevin Trautman

Dr. Liz Goodwin is the World Resource Institute’s Senior Fellow and Director of Food Loss and Waste. In addition to her work with the WRI, Liz is also the Chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), an appointment by the Mayor of London. In 2015, Liz was awarded an OBE by the Queen for her contributions to the Business Resources Efficiency and the Environment

With a PhD in chemistry and professional background as a Scientific Researcher for the ICI, Liz began focusing on issues of environmental sustainability after “realising the vital role that care for the environment was likely to have in the future.” Liz vocally supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, whose goal is to cut global food waste in half by 2030. Through her work with the WRI, she drives a number of initiatives that assist in realising this goal.

Liz’s focus on significantly reducing food wastage is intrinsically linked to saving water - the food we eat is made up of large amounts of invisible water, with agriculture alone accounting for 92% of our global water footprint (Hoekstra & Mekonnen, 2012). This means that, when food is wasted, so is the water that went into making it.

Liz Goodwin is one of our #100WaterHeroes because of her long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, and her tireless efforts towards making SDG 12.3 a reality by 2030.

Twitter: @LizGoodwin