The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting its first Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair on May 26. The virtual event will showcase USDA’s investments and leadership in reducing food loss and waste, which is estimated at between 30–40 percent of the U.S. food supply.

The Innovation Fair will showcase businesses and research teams that have received funding to research or commercialize cutting-edge food loss and waste solutions, including:

  • Lake County, Illinois, whose activities include a pilot community compost project that reduced and diverted food waste from landfill
  • En Solución in Austin, Texas, which received funding to deploy a sanitizer made from ozone nanobubbles to wash harvested produce to extend produce shelf life
  • ReGrained in San Francisco, California, which used the funding to transform brewers’ waste grains into healthy, high-quality flours

USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison, Jean Buzby said, “In the United States, more than one-third of available food goes uneaten through food loss or waste. USDA is proud to highlight public and private leaders who are transforming the food system and combatting food loss and waste.”

Several USDA agencies, such as the Agricultural Research Service, and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, will discuss their food loss and waste activities in research, measurement, education, funding, and outreach services.

Other presenters include several U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions – businesses that have committed to reducing food loss and waste in their operations by 50% by 2030.

Global food services and FM corporation Sodexo is committed to doing this early. It will highlight its change management and operational efficiency efforts to cut waste in half by 2025.