This $650,000 Project Grant award from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program aims to address food waste in small and medium-sized agricultural operations. The project, conducted by North Carolina State University, will quantify the impact of inventory management and high-throughput grading technologies on food waste for growers selling produce through consignment sellers. The key objectives are to: 1) develop systems to quantify produce waste by monitoring packing...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $1,500,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Project Grant to Purdue University to accelerate meeting national food loss and waste reduction targets. The 5-year project aims to: 1) establish a baseline measure of food literacy and identify strategies to promote food conservation and reduce household waste; 2) engage young adults in developing a national food loss and waste reduction strategy aligned with the Extension's health...
The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $169,878 Project Grant to Pilot Light under the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (CFDA 10.522) for the period of August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2024. The grant will support Pilot Light's efforts to disseminate research-based agricultural education in classrooms through capacity-building teacher professional development and student advocacy activities. Specifically, Pilot Light will increase the...
This Cooperative Agreement award of $342,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program (CFDA 10.935) will support Beaufort County, South Carolina in establishing a food waste diversion and composting pilot program. The key objectives are to increase residential education on food waste prevention, produce nutrient-rich compost, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The program will involve distributing countertop bins to residents,...
This $159,040 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) program, awarded to the Ciudad Soil And Water Conservation District, will establish two pilot projects to increase composting and reduce food waste in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The award will fund a part-time Compost Coordinator to oversee the project, which includes setting up a Community Composting Co-op site and a Farm Compost Hub site. The Coordinator...
The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service awarded a $937,500 Project Grant under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program to Winrock International to strengthen farm to food assistance value chains. The grant will leverage Winrock's expertise in value chain development and national practitioner networks to better understand the growing farm to food assistance market channel for local and regional food businesses and build capacity within the channel. Specifically,...
This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) program provides $126,333 to Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management (TCRMM) to develop and implement a module of tools to reduce food waste. The project will work with 10 local businesses to establish food donation programs, initiate food scrap composting, and reduce wasted food through strategies such as adjusting portion sizes. Additionally, the award...
The City of Plano is using a $203,500 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) program to continue and expand its residential food scrap composting pilot project. The project aims to divert food waste from the landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cultivate community norms around food waste reduction and composting. During the initial pilot period from January 2023 to June 2023, 39,960 lbs of food waste were...
This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative Agreement award under the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) program (CFDA 10.935) provides $100,000 in funding from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2026 to the Souhegan Regional Landfill District, a U.S. local government planning commission. The project aims to establish a model for successful food waste diversion and sharing in New Hampshire schools and towns, with a focus on lower socioeconomic and food insecure areas. Key...
The City of Cincinnati is implementing the Cincinnati Food Waste Reduction and Composting Project (CFWRCP), a Cooperative Agreement award of $499,999 from the USDA's Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grant program (CFDA 10.935). The project aims to divert food waste from landfills and create community compost sites across the city. Key activities include preventing food waste, supporting local food rescue/transformation, and establishing 40 small-scale composting sites. The project...