Ohio Farmer

USDA, EPA and FDA sign MOU with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute, and the National Restaurant Association

October 31, 2019

2 Min Read
food waste

The USDA, EPA and FDA have formalized industry education and outreach efforts with The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute, and the National Restaurant Association, the three founding partners of the Food Waste Reduction Alliance.

The FWRA represents three major sectors of the supply chain:

  • food manufacturing,

  • retail, and

  • restaurant and food service.

The Alliance pursues three goals:

  • reducing the amount of food waste generated;

  • increasing the amount of safe, nutritious food donated to those in need; and

  • diverting food waste from landfills.

“EPA is proud to build upon the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative through this partnership with leaders of the Food Waste Reduction Alliance,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Reducing food loss and waste has many environmental and social benefits. By collaborating with these major segments of the food supply chain, we are making progress toward the national goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030.” 

“The issues of food waste and food safety go hand in hand and we will continue to work with our federal partners and other stakeholders on enhancing our efforts to reduce food waste and do it safely,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D.

Federal officials shared the news of the partnership at the 2019 Food Waste Summit, hosted by ReFED, a nonprofit that uses a data-driven approach to combat food loss and waste. At the event, federal officials also recognized the growing cadre of U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, a group of corporations and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their U.S. operations by 50% by the year 2030.

In the U.S., more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. Food is the single largest type of waste in our daily trash. In recent years, great strides have been made to highlight and mitigate food loss and waste, but the work has just begun. When food is tossed aside, so too are opportunities for economic growth, healthier communities, and environmental protection – but that can change through partnership, leadership, and action.

The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative is a collaborative effort among USDA, EPA, and FDA to reduce food loss and waste through combined and agency-specific action. Individually and collectively, these agencies contribute to the initiative, encourage long-term reductions, and work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste in the United States. These actions include research, community investments, education and outreach, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion.

Source: U.S. EPA, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

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