What Is Being Done To Reduce Food Waste?

It's an effort within our nation going on almost a decade now. 

“In 2015, USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set a national goal to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030,” noted Jean Busby who has been involved in these efforts for several years now as USDA’s Food Loss and Waste Liaison. 

That includes a recently announced national strategy to expedite food loss and waste reduction efforts.  As well as increase recycling of organic materials coming up a look at components of this new strategic framework and how it relates to existing food loss and waste reduction efforts. What are the pillars of a new national strategy focused on reducing food loss and waste and recycling organics in our country. 

“To prevent food loss, prevent food waste, increase the recycling rate for all organic waste to support policies that incentivize and encourage the prevention of food loss and waste and organics recycling,” Busby said. 

She says the recently announced national strategy is a joint effort created by the White House, the Agriculture Department, Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration. 

“It's been in the cooker for a while.” 

With the draft strategy first released in December 2022, followed by a period of public comment that included over 10,000 responses. 

“These actions, outlined in the national strategy, really identify concrete steps in complementary USDA, EPA and FDA actions that are really going to accelerate the prevention of food loss and waste where possible, and the recycling of organic waste.” 

That acceleration is important, according to Busby, and is noted in the federal government's goal. To reduce domestic food loss and waste by the year 2030. 

“One-third of all food produced for human consumption never gets eaten by people.  In fact, food is the single most common material found in landfills.  And 61% of methane generated by decomposing landfilled food waste is not captured by landfill gas collection systems and is released into the atmosphere.” 

Some examples of actions that can be taken through the strategy by USDA and stakeholders include: 

“To optimize the harvest or collection of raw commodities and foods, such as to get excess wholesome food to those in need, such as through the emergency food Assistance programs, farm to Food bank project,” Busy continued.  “That's to really educate and engage children in youth about food waste and ways to reduce it. The collection and processing of food loss and waste and other organic materials such as yard and tree trimmings that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated, and turning them into new products such as soil amendments from composting, food scraps and soaps and bone meal from rendering, will provide subject matter expertise and technical assistance to help federal agency, tribes, Territories, States and local governments, as requested on policy approaches and options to reduce food loss and waste.” 

The various aspects of this national food loss and waste reduction and organic recycling strategy build upon existing collaborative efforts started almost a decade ago. One example, funding of urban composting and food waste reduction pilot projects for the past five years. Through USDA's office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. 

“The CPWR Cooperative Agreement program this year we'll be jointly administering the program between the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, as well as Usdan's National Institute of Food and Agriculture,” noted Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production director Brian Gussey.  “OU-AIP will accept applications on grants.gov until September 4th. The projects must be two years in duration, with an estimated start date of June 1st. 2025.” 

Gussey said the diversity of collaboration within these cooperative agreements. 

“These agreements are led by local governments and other eligible entities,” such as schools and tribal governments, the area of focus within these proposed pilot projects include. 

“Create compost, increase access to compost for agricultural producers. Reduce reliance on and limit the use of fertilizer. Improved soil quality. Encourage waste management. Permaculture business development, increased rainwater absorption. Reduce municipal food waste and divert food waste from landfills.” 

More details about the USDA and Federal government food loss and waste reduction efforts can be found Here.

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