U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | Source | Report |
This National Strategy, jointly issued by the U.S. EPA, USDA, and FDA, sets a coordinated plan to halve food loss and waste and achieve a 50% recycling rate by 2030, consistent with UN SDG Target 12.3. It prioritizes prevention of losses in production and distribution, reduction of consumer and retail waste, and expansion of infrastructure for recycling organic materials, including food and yard trimmings.
The Strategy’s 4 objectives are: (1) prevent food loss, (2) prevent food waste, (3) increase organic waste recycling, and (4) support policies that incentivize these actions. Anticipated benefits include advancing food and nutrition security, reducing household and business costs, creating jobs, and supporting a circular economy. Climate mitigation is central, as food is the largest landfill material and the source of 58% of landfill methane emissions; prevention is identified as the most effective strategy for cutting GHGs.
Challenges include limited public outreach, inadequate recycling infrastructure, insufficient research funding, market barriers for recycled products, and data gaps on food loss measurement. Implementation, guided by EPA’s Wasted Food Scale, will leverage federal grants, technical assistance, education campaigns, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to reduce emissions and build healthier, more resilient communities.
