Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** problem:reducing food waste and…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** problem:reducing food waste and composting what remains is one of the single most impactful practices a community can incorporate to reduce environmental destruction. The reason is primarily two-pronged:1) food waste contributes heavily to greenhouse gas emissions when IT decomposes in landfills, notably methane, which has a 20-year global warming potential 84 to 87 times that of carbon dioxide. Composting reduces methane emissions by up to 99% when compared to landfilling.2) certain agricultural practices cause significant environmental harm: water, soil, and air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, erosion, overall soil degradation, flooding, and drought. The incorporation of compost is one of the greatest steps any agricultural producer can take to limit, and even reverse, some of these effects. No food system can be sustainable without recycling (composting) the remnants of that system.solution: this project therefore has two components: reducing the source of food waste through education and awareness, and a composting program open to the public that can divert the food waste that inevitably remains. Maintaining this compost pile will require relatively little effort and will be incorporated into the local recycling facility. Estimations for the total audience reached, food waste diverted, emissions avoided, and compost generated will be calculated.additional benefits not mentioned include social and economic benefits. The application of compost can result in significant reductions in inputs costs for farmers, such as a need for less fertilizer. Reducing the vulnerability to flood and drought could have sizeable economic benefits, while improved air, water, and soil quality would greatly improve quality of life for community members.