This report assesses U.S government plans to reduce food waste, giving an overview of targets and strategies. Plans are designed around a recovery hierarchy based on a sliding scale for environmental benefits and obtaining value from the food:
- (Most preferred) Source reduction
- Feed hungry people
- Feed animals
- Industrial uses
- Composting
- (Least preferred) Incineration or landfill
This is a complex report, packed with suggestions on how to align food waste policies, plans and targets with the recovery hierarchy. It is useful for public and private actors and has pertinence to all governments wishing to enact more effective legislation. Given the contribution of the U.S. food economy on global greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S needs much greater ambition if the world is to respect planetary boundaries. (Link to Eat/Lancet Planetary boundaries).
Links to the executive summary, maps and related materials can be found here: Governmental plans to address waste of food
