The USDA recognizes the impacts of food loss and food waste on food security and the environment. USDA, in concert with agency partners, is working toward the goal of reducing food loss and food waste by 50 percent by 2030.
In the latest effort in reduction activities, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is leading a national Community Foods Project (CFP) Food Loss and Waste Training and Technical Assistance Grants Program, funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). A total of $8 million is being provided to 14 organizations across the nation.
The program supports projects that align with the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, released in June 2024. The program prioritizes preventing food from becoming waste, diverting edible food to people through donation or upcycling, and feeding animals.
Fourteen organizations have been awarded funding to both reduce food loss and waste, and educate a variety of audiences about their reduction techniques. These organizations are diverse in size, geographic location, and in their focus on one or more parts of the food supply chain.
The Good Acre is taking a multi-prong approach to reducing food waste that includes wholesale-specific technical assistance for produce farmers, and buyer education and support intended to increase customer flexibility and establish a “seconds” market. This project aims to decrease food waste, increase food access, and support small produce farms.
"We are Minnesota's largest nonprofit food hub. Our mission is to unlock economic opportunities for farmers in our region, especially those who have historically been excluded from making a viable living, and we do that through a unique combination of personalized support for farmers and market access.
Our SARE project will use a multi-prong approach to reducing food waste, one that deepens and builds on our existing work. This includes wholesale-specific technical assistance for our produce farm partners and buyers, education, and support that's intended to increase customer flexibility and establish a “second quality” market.
We plan to establish a baseline of excess food produced on farms with farmers who have annual contracts and aim to decrease the volume of excess food being grown by 10%. Part of the training will involve creating an image-heavy guide for our farm partners that illustrates differences between first and second quality. We'll also develop additional outlets for those seconds with a goal of $200,000 in annual second sales. Also, we want to provide wholesale buyers with education and support to expand definitions of first quality when it comes to produce."
Dig Deeper
Explore other Food Loss and Waste funded projects at: www.sare.org/resources/food-loss-and-waste/.
For more information about this grant program, contact Lisa Johnson, National SARE Food Loss and Waste Grant Manager at FLW@sare.org.