Summary#
This bill creates a new Office of Food Loss and Waste inside the Department of Agriculture. The Office would support a Food Loss and Waste Liaison, do research, track progress on a national food loss and waste reduction goal, and publish tools and model policies. The bill defines terms like food loss, food waste, food recovery, and upcycled food product.
The bill directs USDA to set up regional coordinators to help connect food producers, processors, distributors, and recovery groups. It creates several grant programs: a data-collection grant program, block grants to States and Tribes for food recovery and distribution infrastructure, and grants to support public-private partnerships committed to reducing food loss and waste. Grants generally require matching funds from recipients.
The bill amends the Federal Food Donation Act to change contractor language, adding reporting requirements for Federal contractors on waste prevention and donations. It also directs USDA to prioritize food loss and waste topics in some research grant programs and to update composting and pilot project guidance.
Finally, the bill requires a national food waste education and public awareness campaign, pilot projects, and waste audits to measure campaign impacts. Several annual and multi-year reports to Congress and the public are required.
What it means for you#
- If you work for or run a food recovery group, nonprofit, local government, or food business, the bill could fund local projects, support infrastructure, and offer technical help through regional coordinators.
- States and Tribal governments could receive block grants to improve storage, temperature-controlled distribution, processing capacity, and technology to move surplus food to people who need it.
- Federal contractors would have to report actions to prevent and reduce food waste, food wasted under contracts, and food donated under contracts.
- The public could see a national education campaign with tips on food storage, date labels, composting, and information about upcycled food products.
- Researchers and grant applicants in agriculture and animal systems may get priority for projects addressing food loss and food waste.
Expenses#
- Office of Food Loss and Waste: authorized $1,500,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Office grant program (data collection): authorized $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030. Up to 4% of this may be used for administrative costs.
- Regional coordinators: authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 (text does not specify fiscal years).
- Food recovery and distribution infrastructure block grants: authorized $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Interagency collaboration work: authorized $1,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Grants for public-private partnerships: authorized $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- National food waste education campaign: authorized $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Matching requirements: data-collection grants require at least a 10% match; public-private partnership grants require at least a 50% match. The bill allows matching contributions to include private funding or in-kind support where noted.
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.