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Biden Administration Strengthens Commitment to Reducing Food Loss and Waste

EPA, USDA and FDA Welcome USAID to Federal Interagency Partnership

May 30, 2024

Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, May 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration renewed their formal agreement created in 2018 to collaborate on reducing food loss and waste. The three agencies are joined this year by the U.S. Agency for International Development, further strengthening and expanding the agencies’ federal and global commitment to leverage government resources, protect the environment, reduce food waste, and feed more people. These collective efforts will save taxpayer dollars and will address issues the agencies have in common in pursuit of the national goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by the year 2030.

“When food is wasted, so are the resources that were used to produce, process, distribute, and prepare that food,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “We are excited to continue this collaboration with our partners at USDA, FDA, and now welcome USAID, to join our efforts to reduce food waste, protect our environment, and address critical climate impacts, while saving families and businesses money and improving food security across the globe.”

Reducing food loss and waste is critically important for the climate and also provides social and economic benefits, contributing to improvements in food security across the globe. With the renewal of the agreement, collaborating agencies will strengthen coordination to continue to produce educational and guidance materials, conduct outreach, community investments, voluntary programs, technical assistance, policy discussion, and public-private partnerships. The addition of USAID enables the U.S. government to expand its efforts and reach a broad range of international audiences while better leveraging government resources. The agencies will also work together with external partners to leverage the private and the non-governmental sectors to drive national and global change to reduce food loss and waste. Read the formal agreement on EPA’s Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste webpage.

The U.S. Government seeks to reduce food loss and waste to meet our national goal and to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030.

New EPA research demonstrates the impact wasted food in landfills has on methane emissions; 58% of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from landfills are from food waste. Each year in the U.S., food loss and waste create potent greenhouse gas pollutants equal to the emissions of 60 coal-fired power plants.

Learn more about:

  • Sustainable management of food.
  • Food: material specific data.
  • EPA’s work to promote a circular economy.
  • USDA’s work on food loss and waste.
  • FDA’s work on food loss and waste.
  • USAID’s work on food loss and waste.

Related Links

  • Headquarters | Land and Emergency Management (OLEM)
  • Read other EPA News Releases about Trash and Recycling
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Last updated on May 30, 2024
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