Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today joined U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as her colleague Congressman David Young (R-IA) and stakeholders, for a roundtable discussion on the issue of food waste.  

“I applaud Secretary Perdue for exploring what USDA can do to help reduce the massive amount of food that goes to waste in the United States. As food waste is a costly problem for farmers, businesses, and consumers, I think it’s an issue we can all get behind,” said Pingree. “While I’ve introduced legislation to reform policies and programs to reduce food waste, I think there are opportunities for USDA to start tackling this issue immediately, including more closely coordinating with other agencies like FDA and EPA that also have a stake in this issue. I appreciate Secretary Perdue for listening to stakeholders today and for committing to take action.” 

Last week, Pingree joined Congressman Young to launch the bipartisan House Food Waste Caucus, which will look at ways to promote food waste reduction across the food supply chain; provide educational opportunities to Congressional members and staff; support efforts to reduce food waste at federal agencies including USDA and EPA; and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to highlight food waste success stories.

In the last two Congresses, Pingree has introduced comprehensive legislation to address food waste across the supply chain. For more information on HR 3444, the Food Recovery Act, go to: https://pingree.house.gov/foodwaste.