Combating Food Waste: USDA, EPA, and FDA’s Joint Strategy

Key Takeaways:

1. Joint Initiative for Food Waste Reduction: The USDA, EPA, and FDA have collectively released a draft strategy to reduce food loss and waste, aiming to alleviate environmental and climate impacts.
2. Strategic Objectives: The strategy outlines four key objectives: preventing food loss, preventing food waste, increasing organic waste recycling, and supporting relevant policies.
3. USDA’s Role and Actions: USDA plans to invest $30 million in composting and food waste reduction, expand educational partnerships, and fund research in new packaging technologies.
4. Public Engagement and Feedback: The strategy is open for public comment, encouraging community involvement and feedback for further refinement.
5. Alignment with Broader Goals: This initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and contributes to the USDA’s broader goals of enhancing food security and managing the impacts of climate change.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has taken a significant step toward environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. The agencies have jointly published the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics for public commentary. This strategy is a governmental initiative and a call to action for the nation to address food loss and waste.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the importance of this strategy at the COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. He highlighted the challenges food loss and waste pose to agriculture, food systems, and the climate. The strategy aims to build a resilient food system by exploring and implementing innovative solutions to reduce food waste and increase organic waste recycling.

The strategy directly addresses the growing concern over food security and climate change. It is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, underscoring the importance of sustainable food practices. The draft outlines four primary objectives:

• Preventing food loss and waste.
• Increasing the recycling rate for all organic waste.
• Supporting policies that incentivize these practices.

One of the standout features of this strategy is the USDA’s commitment to invest significantly in the Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Cooperative Agreements. This investment indicates a concrete step towards actualizing the goals set in the strategy. Additionally, the USDA plans to expand partnerships to develop educational materials, research, and outreach programs focused on food loss and waste prevention.

The strategy also includes a novel approach to prolong the shelf life of food through innovative packaging technologies. This move could significantly reduce food loss, especially in perishable food items. Furthermore, the USDA will continue to educate businesses about the liability protections under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, encouraging more companies to participate in food donation programs.

Public participation is a crucial aspect of this strategy. The USDA invites comments from the public, opening a 30-day comment period starting December 5. This engagement allows individuals and organizations to contribute their insights and suggestions, making the strategy more comprehensive and practical.

The Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics represents a pivotal move towards addressing the most pressing issues of our time: food security and climate change. The USDA, EPA, and FDA collaboration in this initiative demonstrates a unified governmental approach to creating a more sustainable future. As this strategy unfolds, it will influence national policies and inspire individual and community actions toward a more sustainable and resilient food system.

Photo by Jas Min on Unsplash