U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) this week welcomed news from the White House that the Trump administration will highlight food waste reduction this month.
“The president is giving this matter the attention it deserves by promoting food recovery,” said Rep. Newhouse, co-chair along with U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) of the bipartisan Congressional Food Recovery Caucus.
The administration on Monday announced the launch of the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, a collaborative effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“This initiative aligns efforts across our federal government to educate consumers, engage key stakeholders, and develop and evaluate solutions to reduce food loss and waste,” according to the April 1 presidential message.
The White House noted that more than one-third of food in the United States is lost or wasted, “a problem that undermines environmental stewardship and the ability of Americans to lead healthier lives.”
“As a farmer myself, I know how hard our farmers work to make sure Americans have safe, healthy and affordable food to feed their families, but that does not mean our society should be wasteful,” said Rep. Newhouse. “I look forward to working with Congresswoman Pingree to educate the public and my colleagues on how we can address waste from farms to table.”
Rep. Pingree called America’s food waste “a travesty.”
She said that 40 percent of the food produced in the United States ends up in a landfill where it produces methane pollutants. “Addressing food waste is a win-win, as it can both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also get perfectly good food in the hands of those who need it most,” she said.
“During Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month, I encourage all Americans to do their part in helping to reduce food loss and waste,” the president’s message states. “Together, we will promote American prosperity and turn what might otherwise be millions of tons of wasted food into nutritional fuel for America’s communities and economy.”
The USDA and the EPA in 2015 set the country’s first-ever national food waste reduction goal, which is to decrease food waste 50 percent by 2030. In 2018, the two federal agencies joined the FDA to sign a memorandum of understanding to better coordinate joint efforts on reducing food waste.
Also in 2018, the Congressional Food Recovery Caucus was created to promote the same goal, as well as to educate congressional members and staff; support efforts to reduce food waste at federal agencies; and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders on food waste reduction. Rep. Newhouse became the Republican co-chair of the caucus earlier this year.