Source: World Wildlife Fund
Today, Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME), Dan Newhouse (WA), and Suzanne Bonamici (OR) introduced the School Food Recovery Act, which will amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support food waste reduction programs in schools. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement from Pete Pearson, Senior Director, Food Loss and Waste:
“We cannot tackle the biodiversity and climate crises without addressing the fact that 40 percent of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted. With an estimated 530,000 tons of food wasted in U.S. schools each year, lunchtime can be an excellent opportunity to educate students on this global problem.
“This important bipartisan legislation would go a long way toward helping lessons grow out of lunchtime, where students learn about the impact our food system has on the environment and how their communities can catalyze solutions. The more we can measure and report what’s not getting eaten in our nation’s schools and why, the more likely we will be able to reduce waste, benefiting both nature and our students.”
