USDA Announces Agreements for Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction

On Tuesday, the USDA announced the availability of $900,000 for local governments to reduce food waste in landfills. The grants allow local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction pilot project for fiscal year 2020. The cooperative agreements will support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. The agreements are offered through USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.

USDA undersecretary Bill Northey stated food waste “shouldn’t end up in landfills when options like food recovery and composting are available." Northey says composting options "not only benefit communities and the environment, they can also provide farmers and urban gardeners with exceptional, nutrient-dense planting material."

USDA will accept applications until midnight June 26, 2020. Projects should span two years with a start date of October 1, 2020 and completion date of September 29, 2022.

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