(Portland, ME)  Dec 7, 2015: At a press event at the Portland Food Co-Op, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree https://pingree.house.gov/foodwaste
 
 

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Federal program expanding to help small farmers reach local markets

 

VIDEO: On House floor, Pingree calls for reform of sell-by dates

 

https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/video-house-floor-pingree-calls-reform-sell-dates

Dec 9, 2015: Press Release Pingree’s Food Recovery Act aims to reduce food waste Video of Introducing the Food Recovery Act

On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today, Congresswoman Pingree called for a reform in the way food is labeled with ‘sell-by’ dates.

“Every day in kitchens across this country, someone pulls a can of soup out of the cupboard or a box of pasta off the shelf, looks at the “best-by” date on the package, and tries to decide whether to throw it out or not,” Pingree said. ” Too often, perfectly good food gets thrown out—contributing to the 40{4d24daa5a359aa22e51c71c531e935ff229d31c7c5eb0da4885e362fa152ead6} of all food that is wasted every year in this country. And much of it ends up in a landfill, where it produces methane—a potent greenhouse gas.  My bill has nearly two dozen proposals to reduce food waste, including a provision that would require manufacturers who do put a date on their food to include the words “Manufacturers suggestion only.”

Earlier this week Pingree introduced the Food Recovery Act (H.R. 4184)—a comprehensive bill containing nearly two dozen proposals to reduce food waste, including a plan to reform the “best by” dates on food packages.

HR 4184, the Food Recovery Act

Keep posted to pingree.house.gov/foodwaste for updates on Congresswoman Pingree’s legislation.

Bill Summary | Bill Text  | Bill Status

Pingree introducing landmark legislation aimed at reducing food waste in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and farms
Food Recovery Act would help clarify misleading “sell-by” dates on many products

 

(Portland, ME)  At a press event at the Portland Food Co-Op, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she will be introducing a bill today in Congress aimed at reducing the amount of food that is wasted each year in the United States.  The Food Recovery Act includes nearly two dozen provisions to reduce food waste across the economy.

“Forty percent of all food produced in the United States each year is wasted,” Pingree said.  “The Food Recovery Act takes a comprehensive approach to reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills and at the same time reducing the number of Americans who have a hard time putting food on the table.”

Pingree was joined by dozens of people representing groups and organizations from throughout Maine as she announced the bill today.  Representatives from Hannaford Supermarkets, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Portland Food Co-Op and Agri-Cycle Energy all spoke at the press conference.

Pingree’s bill tackles wasted food in four areas–at the consumer level, in grocery stores and restaurants, in schools and other institutions, and on the farm.

Pingree introducing landmark legislation aimed at reducing food waste in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and farms

Dec 7, 2015
Press Release Food Recovery Act would help clarify misleading “sell-by” dates on many products

food waste press conference

(Portland, ME)  At a press event at the Portland Food Co-Op, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said she will be introducing a bill today in Congress aimed at reducing the amount of food that is wasted each year in the United States.  The Food Recovery Act includes nearly two dozen provisions to reduce food waste across the economy.

“Forty percent of all food produced in the United States each year is wasted,” Pingree said.  “The Food Recovery Act takes a comprehensive approach to reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills and at the same time reducing the number of Americans who have a hard time putting food on the table.”

Pingree was joined by dozens of people representing groups and organizations from throughout Maine as she announced the bill today.  Representatives from Hannaford Supermarkets, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Portland Food Co-Op and Agri-Cycle Energy all spoke at the press conference.

Pingree’s bill tackles wasted food in four areas–at the consumer level, in grocery stores and restaurants, in schools and other institutions, and on the farm.

At the consumer level, Pingree’s bill requires any manufacturer who wants to put a date on their food to use the words “Best if used by” and also—in letters just as big—the words “Manufacturer’s suggestion only.”

“Currently there are NO federal laws regarding expiration dates,” Pingree said.  “Manufacturers can go overboard with the dates they put on food—and it can lead to consumers and retailers throwing out perfectly good food.”

“Wasted food costs us over $160 billion a year in this country,” Pingree said.  “That works out to about $125 a month for a family of four.  We can save money and feed more Americans if we reduce the amount of food that ends up getting sent to landfills.”

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, co-founder of Food Policy Action and owner/chef of Crafted Hospitality, praised Pingree’s bill.

“Wasting food is bad for the economy, bad for the environment and bad for Americans who are struggling to afford healthy food to feed their families. Congresswoman Pingree is a national leader on sustainable food and farming and I’m glad she’s taking on this huge issue of wasted food,” Collichio said.

Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland and WastedFood.com, called Pingree’s bill a roadmap to reducing wasted food.

“Today is a great day for Americans who love food and hate waste,” Bloom said.  “In fifteen years, we may well look back on this bill as a watershed moment in the fight against food waste. ”

Emily Broad Leib, Director of Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, said Pingree’s bill tackles an important problem with the nation’s food supply.

“Food waste is one of the most pressing environmental and economic issues facing our food system, yet so much of the food we waste could go to better use in our households or shared with people in need. This groundbreaking legislation offers assistance to farmers and retailers, supports food recovery organizations, and helps consumers by clarifying the senseless date labels that appear on foods. It thus achieves many of the goals our clinic has advocated over the past few years and we are thrilled to work in support of its passage,” Broad Leib said.

Speakers at the press event this morning included:
•    John Crane, General Manager, Portland Food Co-op
•    Kristen Miale, President, Good Shepherd Food Bank
•    George Parmenter, Manager of Sustainability, Hannaford Supermarkets
•    Dan Bell, General Manager of Agri-Cycle Energy

https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pingree-introducing-landmark-legislation-aimed-reducing-food-waste

More on HR 4184, the Food Recovery Act

May 2, 2016
Press Release

Loan program will help farmers buy refrigerated trucks, storage and processing facilities, thanks to legislation written by Pingree
Market veggies

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a big expansion of a loan program that will now help small farmers acquire refrigerated trucks and mobile processing and storage facilities so they can more easily get their products to market.

“This is a big win for the local agricultural economy,” Pingree said.  “It’s going to help the small farms in Maine and around the country grow and expand, and get their products in the hands of local consumers while they are still fresh.”

More: https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/federal-program-expanding-help-small-farmers-reach-local-markets

https://www.francaisdeletranger.org/en/2015/10/27/mdfdeusa-kudos-to-u-s-rep-chellie-pingree-in-her-leadership-vs-food-waste/

Summary: Food Recovery Act

Dec 8, 2015
Blog Post

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s Food Recovery Act takes commonsense steps to reduce food waste while helping feed millions of Americans.

>>>Food Recovery Act mainpage

Reduce wasted food at the consumer level
•    Combat consumer confusion by clarifying that “sell-by” dates are manufacturers’ quality suggestions only, and require uniform labeling language.
•    Sponsor a national campaign raising awareness on the impact of food waste and strategies to decrease wasted food at the household level.
Reduce wasted food on the farm, in grocery stores and restaurants
•    Extend and expand tax deductions for farmers, retailers, and restaurants that donate high-quality food to organizations serving people who are food insecure.
•    Strengthen the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, which provides liability protection to businesses that donate wholesome food.
•    Invest in storage and distribution programs to help food banks maximize their resources.
•    Study barriers that prevent the donation of surplus food.
Reduce wasted food in schools
•    Encourage school cafeterias to purchase lower-price “ugly” fruits and vegetables.
•    Expand grant programs to educate students about food waste and encourage food recovery.
•    Strengthen connection between schools and farms to give both more resources to combat food waste.

Reduce wasted food throughout the federal government, including Congress and the military
•    Create an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate federal activities related to measuring and reducing food waste and implementing food recovery initiatives.
•    Require companies that receive food service contracts with the federal government, including Congressional cafeterias, U.S. military bases, and federal prisons, to donate surplus food to organizations like food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.
Reduce wasted food going to landfills
•    Encourage composting as a conservation practice eligible for support under USDA’s conservation programs.
•    Support food waste-to-energy projects at the farm, municipal, and county levels, while ensuring that edible food that could feed hungry people is not being diverted to energy production.
•    Create an infrastructure fund to support construction of large-scale composting and food waste-to-energy facilities in states that restrict food waste going to landfill.
Reduce wasted food through research
•    Direct USDA to develop new technologies to increase shelf life of fresh food.
•    Require USDA to establish a standard for how to estimate the amount of wasted food at the farm level.

Link: https://pingree.house.gov/foodwaste/billsummary

Bill Text: HR 4184, Food Recovery Act

Click here to view pdf of bill.
Bill status on Thomas.loc.gov
To Food Recovery Act mainpage

114TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 4184
A BILL

More: https://pingree.house.gov/foodwaste/billtext

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Attack the Scraps! Our goal is to fight food waste in the central Florida area.

 

Attack The Scraps!

 

An estimated 25 – 40{4d24daa5a359aa22e51c71c531e935ff229d31c7c5eb0da4885e362fa152ead6} of food grown, processed and transported in the US will never be consumed. Meaning approximately 70 billion pounds of food is wasted in America each year. We must work together to be more responsible with our food production for the nearly 48 million people in the United States who feel the effects of food insecurity. We want to introduce a bill similar to HR 4184, the Food Recovery Act of Maine, aimed at reducing the amount of food that is wasted each year in the United States. The Food Recovery Act comprises nearly two dozen provisions to reduce food waste across the economy. The Food Recovery Act takes a wide-ranging approach to decreasing the amount of food that ends up in landfills while at the same time reducing the number of Americans who are having a tough time feeding their families. Our goal is to bring this bill to Central Florida. Join “Attack the Scraps” in affecting change in the community, and globally by: Requiring any manufacturer who wants to put an arbitrary date on their food by using the words “Best if used by” must also include in letters just as big, the words “Manufacturer’s suggestion only.” Using the Rural Energy for America Program to reduce food and crop waste. The extension and expansion of charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory. Having a farm to school grant program to improve access to local foods in schools and reduce food waste.

Cette pétition sera remise à:
  • Representative
    Alan Grayson
  • Representative
    Debbie Wasserman Schultz
  • Representative
    Corrine Brown

https://www.change.org/p/corrine-brown-attack-the-scraps-our-goal-is-to-fight-food-waste-in-the-central-florida-area?tk=31IudAck_gP6BTkcyY_TRJC_I6Bh3htDrzn16SgpFu4&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt&utm_campaign=new_signature

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We’re Wasting the Food Waste Movement

Michael F. Curtin, Jr and Alexander Moore, DC Central Kitchen Michael F. Curtin, Jr and Alexander Moore, DC Central Kitchen, posted on  

 

In the past two years, the issue of food waste has moved from back-alley dumpsters and out-of-sight landfills and squarely into the spotlight. Thanks to high-profile documentaries and books, bold public initiatives, and even a popular John Oliver spot, an increasing number of Americans are viewing food waste as a major environmental, economic, and social problem.

New York’s City Harvest pioneered the concept of urban food rescue back in 1982. Here at DC Central Kitchen, we’ve been in the business of transforming wasted food into balanced, healthy meals since 1989. And in 1996, Congress passed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, providing critical legal protections to people donating surplus food to hunger-fighting nonprofits. So why is our national discussion about food waste just heating up now?

Part of the answer involves some compelling early research by groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council, which indicated that the U.S. may waste 40{4d24daa5a359aa22e51c71c531e935ff229d31c7c5eb0da4885e362fa152ead6} of its food supply each year. For those of us working to fighting waste throughout our food system – from farm to table – those numbers weren’t surprising, but this number, however preliminary, shocked many observers.

We also owe a debt to activists like Tristram Stuart, a researcher from the United Kingdom who built on his academic interests to found Feedback, an NGO that organizes high-profile events like Feeding the 5000, calling attention to “the global food waste scandal” in a visceral, emotionally affecting way.

And finally, this profound waste of precious resources has also attracted the attention of America’s entrepreneurial culture. Visit just about any U.S. city and you won’t have to wait long before you hear about its next regional food summit and numerous start-ups pledging a new solution to food waste.

These are all encouraging developments, and we welcome the fresh energy and partnership opportunities these new actors are bringing to the food waste issue. However, DC Central Kitchen has been a practitioner and advocate of food waste solutions for a long time, and we believe our experiences can shorten the collective learning curve of this rapidly expanding movement.

We must start by all recognizing that simply redistributing food from one place to another does not mean that its waste has been prevented. We value the Environmental Protection Agency’s insightful food recovery hierarchy, which places feeding people near the top with industrial uses and composting toward the bottom. But simply dumping excess food at nonprofits and shelters is problematic for a number of reasons.

First, given the irregular timing and quantities of food donation, nonprofits still face ‘feast or famine’ cycles of donations that do little to improve their clients’ food security. During ‘feast’ cycles, recipient agencies are often forced to toss donations themselves, incurring added financial costs and masking the full scope of waste in our food system.

Second, there is also a hierarchy of food quality, and while daily donations of leftover breads and cupcakes have their place, that place is not the center of the plate. A donation of lean protein or fresh vegetables is clearly more meaningful than one of empty starches, but most all donations are simply measured in pounds.

We clearly need new metrics to measure the performance of food waste-fighting organizations in meeting the food security and nutritional needs of hungry Americans. We also need to build more meaningful infrastructure that can support a ‘second economy’ of food waste. While food banks have provided essential services for generations, most are only equipped to move large quantities of shelf-stable canned and dry goods. Handling more sensitive produce and protein items requires significant refrigeration and processing capacity, along with the culinary skill and human capital to transform disparate donations into nourishing, appetizing meals.

While we await the broader development of this type of infrastructure, DC Central Kitchen has scaled our unique approach nationally through The Campus Kitchens Project, which uses existing kitchen and storage infrastructure on more than 50 college and high school campuses to put wasted food to better use.

Finally, this new generation of food waste warriors risks making the same intellectual and moral mistake as yesterday’s hunger fighters. Free food, no matter where you get it, will never end hunger, because hunger is a symptom of the deeper, more pernicious issue of poverty. For 27 years, DC Central Kitchen has used our food recovery and meal preparation efforts to provide culinary training and employment opportunities for women and men with histories of incarceration, homelessness, addiction, and trauma.

Wasted human potential is a far greater and costly loss than wasted food. We challenge the energetic new actors entering the food waste space to base their models around expanding opportunity for our most vulnerable neighbors, not just moving food from one place to another. Embracing holistic solutions to poverty and sustainability is the only way for this movement to achieve its full promise.

Michael F. Curtin, Jr is chief executive officer and Alexander Moore is chief development officer of DC Central Kitchen.

Link: http://spotlightonpoverty.org/spotlight-exclusives/wasting-food-waste-movement/

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