EPA, USDA announce inaugural U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 champions

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the first businesses to take part in the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions program, who have pledged to reduce food loss and waste 50 percent by 2030.
 
“Reducing food waste is good for business, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for our communities,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “We need leaders in every field and every sector to help us reach our food loss goal. That’s why we’re excited to work with the 2030 Champions and others across the food retail industry as we work together to ensure that we feed families instead of landfills.”
 
Each participant will develop their own method of working towards their goal based on their particular operations. The champions will determine their baseline of food waste based on their current rates, then measure their food loss and waste moving forward using the Food Loss and Waste Protocol.
 
“The founding 2030 Champions have shown exceptional leadership in the fight to reduce, recover and recycle food loss and waste,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The staggering amount of wasted food in the United States has far-reaching impacts on food security, resource conservation and climate change. To help galvanize U.S. efforts to reduce food loss and waste, USDA and EPA announced the first U.S. food loss and waste reduction goal in September 2015. Today, the first 15 Champions are stepping up to do their part to help the nation reach this critical goal.”
 
The inaugural class of 2030 Champions includes: Ahold USA, Blue Apron, Bon Appétit Management Company, Campbell Soup Company, Conagra Brands, Delhaize America, General Mills, Kellogg Company, PepsiCo, Sodexo, Unilever, Walmart, Wegman’s Food Markets, Weis Markets and YUM! Brands.