Food Loss and Waste 💓

Food Loss and Waste

According to estimates, between 30 and 40 percent of the food supply in the US is wasted. According to estimates from the USDA's Economic Research Service, there were approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food lost at the retail and consumer level in 2010.

The most prevalent type of waste material in municipal landfills is food waste, which represents food that could have been used to feed hungry families. In addition, the resources needed to generate wasted food—water, energy, and labor—could have been put to better use. Governments at all levels—federal, state, local, and tribal—will need to work together to reduce food waste, as will environmental groups, faith-based organizations, communities, and the entire supply chain.

Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative

Under the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a joint agency formal agreement. In an effort to better inform Americans about the implications and significance of decreasing food loss and waste, the agreement aims to improve coordination and communication among federal departments.

In April 2019, the USDA, EPA, and FDA released their FY2019-2020 Federal Interagency Strategy as part of the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative. In order to reduce food loss and waste in the US, the agencies will concentrate their efforts on six key areas, according to the Interagency Strategy: The key areas underscore how crucial it will be for leaders in the public, commercial, and non-profit sectors to work together with government agencies to find a solution to this issue.

On the EPA website, you can find the entire strategy as well as the results for each priority area. There are direct links to each section below.

On April 9, 2019, ReFED, Inc. and the USDA, EPA, and FDA formally agreed to work together to reduce food waste in the United States. The agencies and ReFED reached an agreement to, among other things, expand data collecting and measurement efforts, develop methods for evaluating the effectiveness of food waste measures, and take part as needed in the partnership between Further with Food and the Center for Food Loss and Waste.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance and the USDA, EPA, and FDA announced a new alliance on October 30. (FWRA). The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute, and the National Restaurant Association, the three original partners of the FWRA, will formalize industry education and outreach initiatives through a Memorandum of Understanding, which will be signed by the USDA, EPA, and the FDA.

How Much Food Is Wasted In The US 

Resources

The resources listed below can assist you in reducing food loss and waste. You contribute to achieving the national objective of reducing food waste by 50% by the year 2030. (see U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions Initiative).

To prevent food waste, save money, and safeguard the environment, start implementing these tips right away.

From USDA

The USDA is doing its share to encourage farmers, businesses, organizations, and consumers to prevent food waste as their top priority. Numerous USDA initiatives, from those that enhance market and distributional efficiencies to those that inform consumers about safe food storage, all contribute to this goal. The list below includes a few recent and current initiatives that directly reduce food loss and waste.