Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

The initiative

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a formal agreement (PDF, 579 KB) to reduce food loss and waste in October 2018. The three agencies renewed the agreement (PDF, 724 KB) in December 2020, reaffirming their commitment to improve coordination and communication efforts to better educate Americans on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste.

Through the Initiative, the agencies affirm their shared commitment to reduce food loss and waste. They also agree to coordinate action to leverage government resources to reduce food loss and waste, including action to educate Americans on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste.

Individually and collectively, these agencies contribute to the Initiative, encourage long-term reductions and work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste in the United States. These actions include research, community investments, education and outreach, voluntary programs, public-private partnerships, tool development, technical assistance, event participation, and policy discussion.

Federal Interagency Collaboration - inventories of initiative actions

USDA, EPA and FDA, in conjunction with public, private and nonprofit partners, create an annual inventory of actions. The most recent inventory is for May 2020 – April 2021: inventory of actions (PDF, 666 KB)