The Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA), of which FMI – The Food Industry Association is a founding member, has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with several federal agencies, reaffirming its commitment to reducing food waste.
The agreement with FMI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aims to combat food loss through industry and agency-specific actions.
“Minimizing food waste is a significant priority for shoppers, with 55 percent saying they buy only what they need to reduce waste,” said FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin. “As consumers seek to maximize the value of their grocery dollars and align their purchasing habits with their principles around sustainability and nutrition, we in the food industry must also do our part to cut down on the amount of food going to landfill.
“As a founding member of FWRA and a signatory to this renewed MOU, FMI is proud to recommit to working with USDA, EPA and FDA to identify ways to further reduce food waste throughout the supply chain by supporting policies and programs that encourage environmental, societal and business innovation.”
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As vital links in the consumer food supply chain, FMI members are dedicated to increasing the amount of food donated to those in need and diverting unavoidable food waste from landfills.
The MOU is intended to further coordination between the public and private sectors to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030 and build upon strategic priority areas aimed at:
- Educating and engaging the food manufacturing, retail, restaurant and foodservice industries to reduce food waste, including strategies to prevent, recover and recycle excess food;
- Informing stakeholders of the reduction recognition programs available at each respective agency;
- Sharing best practices on successful, creative and innovative solutions to reduce wasted food across industry sectors;
- Increasing industry awareness of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act to encourage safe and effective food donation and recovery; and
- Collaborating to better understand infrastructure gaps and other constraints to food donation, scrap recycling, adopting innovative technology and behaviors in commercial settings to identify areas for improvement.
About FMI
FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain.
It brings together a range of members across the value chain – from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the variety of companies providing critical services – to amplify the collective work of the industry.
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