Governmental Plans to Address Waste of Food

In the US, the amount of food that is wasted post-harvest has increased by about 50% from 1974, and now comprises up to 40% of the total produced. As recognition grows regarding the magnitude of wasted food generated by households and businesses and its impacts, along with the great potential that exists to recover that food for those in need, interventions are proliferating. This report provides synthesized information about existing approaches in governmental plans to address wasted food, and shares recommendations to guide future efforts. It is based on analysis of 93 governmental plans aimed at addressing waste of food and interviews with 17 local, state, and national government staff about their plans. For this report, we define wasted food as food that could have been edible but was landfilled or incinerated.