A formal agreement was recently renewed between multiple federal agencies in an effort to address food waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will continue their work to reduce food waste. The agreement reaffirms the initiatives put forth in the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Federal Interagency Strategy. The issue of food loss and waste has become even more of a focal point in recent years, as it negatively affects food security, communities, the economy, and the environment.
“We’ve seen great strides in food loss and waste reduction since first entering the joint agency formal agreement with our Federal colleagues, and through collaborative efforts with our public and private partners,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a news release. “At FDA, we’ve encouraged food manufacturers and retailers to standardize the way quality-based date labels are used on packaged foods and developed videos and materials to educate consumers. With these continued partnerships and important efforts, we’re on track to see a 50% reduction of food waste by 2030.”
The renewed three-year agreement reaffirms the commitment to enhance interagency coordination and communication. The Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative has already shown to be successful in fostering public-private partnerships to help address food waste. The United States Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions program has already helped to implement more proven strategies to combat food loss and waste.
The overall goal is to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. Six priority action areas are laid out in the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, meant to work towards the national goal. USDA, FDA, and EPA will be actively working within federal agencies and private industry to encourage food waste reduction. Through better interagency coordination and guidance, improvements will also be made in areas of outreach and education.
About the Author
