Exploring the climate and cost-of-living crises through food waste and community.

GRO-OP by Driftime®
Creative Boom: Designing out food poverty: Driftime's GRO-OP co-operative concept.

Food waste is a massive problem in the UK, but so is access to fresh, affordable produce. GRO-OP tackles both issues by connecting people who grow too much with people who need more.

The problem we're solving

Despite an ever growing need for fresh produce, over a quarter of all the food grown in the UK is never eaten, with this wasted harvest accounting for up to 7% of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions. From food injustice to the climate crisis, fresh fruit and vegetables going to waste is nothing but bad news. What was once hailed as a sustainable way for urban and suburban families to grow their own vegetable gardens has now sustained somewhat of a cult status, making it inaccessible to many of the people that they were intended to serve, due to years long waitlists and limited green spaces.

How we're fixing it

We see GRO-OP as a remedy to the current food waste crisis – your go-to community cooperative connecting local growers and grazers with a digital platform to offer their extra potatoes, peas, or pears to those looking for fresh produce at an affordable price. We skip the compost, and redistribute those surplus veggies to good homes in a way that benefits both people and planet, whilst plotting for a peachy future of food justice and climate recovery.

GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®
GRO-OP by Driftime®

Project Details

Year

  • 2024

Disciplines

  • Strategy
  • Brand

Sectors

  • Food & Beverage

Team

  • Abb-d Taiyo
  • Elsa Monteith
  • Jo Billings
  • Olivia Dias Baggot
  • Rossouw Oosthuizen
  • Edmund Marshall-Lovsey
  • Kenny Heard
  • Holly Jackson

This project aligns with the following sustainable development goals...

  • Zero Hunger
  • Sustainable Cities Communities

Discover more work, partnerships and impact achieved with clients from Driftime®

Design Declares

A global movement and framework for the design industry to address the climate emergency.

Awarded the 2025 Impact Awards Most Innovative Sustainability Initiative

The Finnish Institute of UK & Ireland

Transforming how the Finnish Institute of UK & Ireland connect communities across borders.

WHEB's 2024 Impact Report designed by Driftime® shown in an iPad

WHEB Group

Evolving award-winning impact reporting through the power of narrative design.

a preview image of the CC Facility website shown on a laptop in a modern environment

Catalytic Climate Finance Facility

Mobilising private capital to accelerate climate solutions where they're needed most.

$4.4M awarded to 11 market-ready climate finance structures since launch