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In Case You Missed It: In the Fight Against Food Waste, Leaders Focus on the Business Case

In the fight against food waste, leaders focus on the business case

Supply Chain Dive
By Emma Cosgrove
September 23, 2019

On Sunday morning at the Bronx, New York, headquarters of online grocer Fresh Direct, Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler met with food waste non-profits and food-waste conscious firms, along with other EPA officials to receive an update on the food waste mitigation work in progress in the New York area.

"Food waste is a top domestic and international priority for the Trump administration," Wheeler said. In April, the administration committed to reducing food waste by 50% by 2030, launching six strategies to meet this goal including a two-year partnership with nonprofit ReFed. The U.S. wastes 75 billion pounds of food annually — the equivalent of 4.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, the administrator said.

The Trump administration has taken a more carrot-based path — creating a "2030 champions program," eschewing the regulatory routes several states have taken to mandate responsible re-purposing and/or disposal of surplus food.

Twenty-five corporations, including Ahold Delhaize, Yum! Brands, Campbell's, Walmart, Blue Apron and Pepsico, have signed onto the program. The companies have committed to reducing food waste caused by their operations by 50% by 2030. The committed companies are required to post their progress publicly on their websites, but so far no formal benchmarks beyond the 2030 deadline have been made public, according to the EPA...

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