The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has committed to projects aimed at reducing food waste across 23 states. This commitment will be realized through 38 cooperative agreements designed to support innovative waste management plans that will decrease the amount of food waste sent to landfills.
According to a press release by the USDA, these Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements form part of the USDA's support for urban agriculture. The funding for these agreements comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and is administered by the Office of Urban Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The USDA has begun prioritizing projects that include plans to make compost accessible to farmers and provide economic benefits with a view to transforming the U.S. food system. This transformation aims to offer more options and increase access to better markets for consumers, producers, and rural communities. NIFA Director Dr. Manjit K. Misra stated, "This work with our USDA colleagues in the Natural Resources Conservation Service is one example of how we are working together to resolve this critical issue." He added, "These customer-focused projects will have significant impacts on the agency’s goal to reduce food loss and waste."
In another press release by the USDA, it was revealed that the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. This office collaborates with various USDA agencies in order to support urban agriculture and innovative production. In 2023, $9.1 million was invested in competitive grants for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. Furthermore, efforts have been made towards organizing 17 USDA Farm Service Agency urban county committees tasked with making decisions on how farm programs will be administered locally. Investment has also been directed towards risk management education in an effort to extend crop insurance coverage to urban farmers.
Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which houses the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, remarked, "These Composting and Food Waste Reduction projects help communities reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions." Cosby emphasized the importance of local strategies and tools like these, noting that they are crucial climate solutions and also contribute to food security at the community level.
