National Food Loss, Waste Reduction Strategy Unveiled

The FDA, USDA, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed Wednesday the “National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics” as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change, feed people, address environmental justice, and promote a circular economy.

The strategy provides goals that government partners as well as retailers and consumers can work towards to help prevent the loss and waste of food, increase recycling efforts to support a more circular economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build cleaner, healthier communities, according to FDA.

“USDA is committed to reducing food loss and waste, facilitating many programs and activities to assist farmers, producers, communities, and businesses,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. “This National Strategy charts a course to reduce our nation's food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030, and I am proud of the actions outlined for USDA and our Federal partners. Everyone has a role to play in reducing food loss and waste, and I hope that these federal commitments will inspire and catalyze action in the private sector and communities around the US.”  

The government initiative comes during the inaugural Upcycled Food Month, a new initiative from the Upcycled Food Association to raise awareness about the value of transforming food byproducts that would otherwise go to waste into products that can reenter the food system.

At this month's Summer Fancy Food Show, UFA CEO Amanda Oenbring will discuss the importance of upcycling, highlight recent efforts and innovations in the industry, and give insight into market growth and trends in an education session on the Big Idea Stage on Tuesday, June 25 at 11 a.m. EDT. Learn more.