USDA invests $9.4M in compost and food waste reduction projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $9.4 million in 45 cooperative agreements that support what it calls innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce food waste and divert it from landfills.

The Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of the USDA’s support for urban agriculture through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP). The USDA says the projects will be implemented between 2023 and 2025.

"These compost and food waste reduction projects play important roles in building resilient, local food systems, including strong food recovery networks and food waste reduction solutions that benefit farmers and communities,” says Terry Cosby, chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which houses OUAIP. “With an estimated 4 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions attributable to uneaten food, local strategies and tools like these are important climate solutions.” 

• Geneva Compost and Food Waste Diversion, Geneva, New York, which will involve a variety of partners to improve the environmental justice profile of Geneva by diverting food waste and other biodegradables from the waste stream, generating nutrient-rich compost, improving soil quality, reducing reliance on fertilizers and engaging in food recovery efforts that take extra food and distribute it to community members in need.  

• Miami-Dade County 2022 CFWR Pilot Project, Miami-Dade County, Miami, will implement a two-year pilot project to jump-start a circular economy for food waste that aims to accelerate and scale the services of three small, locally owned composting companies. The project will expand existing service capacity by 50 percent over one year, obtain a renewable 18-month pilot project permit and develop a commercially viable compost product that can be used by Miami-Dade County’s Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. The goal is to create a circular economy for food waste and compost to reduce landfill food waste and replace chemical fertilizer.