US Food Loss and Waste Strategy

A new national strategy developed by the White House Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration focuses on preventing food loss and waste and increasing the recycling of organic waste. This initiative supported by USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison, Jean Buzby aims to implement policies that encourage these practices.

“|What many people may not know is that 1/3 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 landfill food waste is not captured by landfill gas collection systems and is released into the atmosphere.”

The strategy, which has been in development for some time, had its first draft released in December of 2022 and was followed by a public comment period that received over 10,000 contributions.

The strategy includes optimizing harvests and distributing excess food to those in need, educating children about reducing food waste and converting organic waste into new products like compost and bone meal. The USDA will also provide expertise and technical assistance to various government entities on policy approaches to reduce food loss and waste. It is anticipated the strategy will go into effect by 2030.