USDA Invests More than $7.5 Million in Composting and Food Waste Reduction Projects

Selected projects include the Sun Prairie Food RESCU Pilot in Wisconsin.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $7.5 million in 26 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The CFWR program is jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The selected projects will be implemented between now and 2027.
“These Composting and Food Waste Reduction projects help communities reduce the harmful effects of food waste on the environment,” said Nathan Fikkert, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist in Wisconsin, “Local strategies and tools like these are important climate solutions and also contribute to food security at the community level.”
USDA prioritized projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits, incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners, integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts and collaborate with multiple partners.
“Efforts to reduce food loss and waste are a vital component of USDA NIFA’s food safety and nutrition portfolio,” said USDA NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. “The projects funded through this initiative will generate new opportunities at the local level for improved food security, economic growth and environmental prosperity.”
Recipients include projects in 15 states and one territory, including two states that will be first-time participants in the program. The Sun Prairie Food Residential, Event, and School Compost Undertaking (RESCU) Pilot project selected in Wisconsin will integrate full-service composting into six major city-wide events in Sun Prairie. These events include implementing lunchtime composting programs, share tables, a food waste reduction competition, and food waste-focused curriculum into select schools in the Sun Prairie Area School District, pilot an 18-month curbside composting service for residents, and distribute compost to community gardens and urban farms, while engaging these producers in a workshop centered around sustainable agriculture practices. The Food RESCU Pilot is expected to reach 12,000 people, divert 65,000lbs of food waste from the landfill, produce 43,000lbs of compost, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 27 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
From the 2021-2023, six other CFWR projects were funded across the state of Wisconsin. Total federal funds of $1,324,375 have supported work including community composting initiatives, infrastructure improvements, and hands-on education on composting and food recovery at schools. These new agreements build on USDA’s $23.3 million investment in 119 agreements since 2020. For a complete list of the selected cooperative agreement recipients and project summaries, visit usda.gov/urban.
More Information
OUAIP was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. It is led by NRCS and works in partnership with numerous USDA agencies that support urban agriculture and innovative production. The CFWR cooperative agreements are part of a broader USDA investment in urban and innovative agriculture. Other efforts include:
- Investing $5.2 million in 17 awards for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) competitive grants in fiscal year 2024. Since 2020, UAIP has invested nearly $52 million in 203 awards.
- Administering the People’s Garden Initiative, which celebrates collaborative gardens across the country and worldwide that benefit their communities by growing fresh, healthy food and supporting resilient, local food systems using sustainable practices and providing greenspace.
- Organizing 27 FSA urban county committees to make important decisions about how FSA farm programs are administered locally. Urban farmers who participate in USDA programs in the areas selected are encouraged to participate by nominating and voting for county committee members.
- Creating and managing a Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to advise the secretary on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban agriculture.
- Investing in risk management education to broaden the reach of crop insurance among urban and innovative producers.
- Partnering with the Vermont Law and Graduate School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems to develop resources that help growers understand and work through local policies.
Through investments in science as a solution to our greatest challenges, USDA NIFA collaborates with partners to drive research, education and Extension — improving lives, supporting livelihoods and sustaining the planet. In FY 2024, NIFA awarded more than 2,200 grants totaling $2 billion.
Learn more at usda.gov/urban. For additional resources available to producers, download the Urban Agriculture at a Glance brochure and Innovative Production at a Glance brochure or visit farmers.gov/urban.
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