Blog Posts

The following piece was sent to area newspapers in November 2015.

Here are two figures that don’t add up: 40 percent of the food produced in the United States gets thrown out while nearly 50 million Americans can’t reliably access enough food to meet their nutrition needs.  

As so many people go hungry, wasted food represents a serious concern and an exciting opportunity.  If we diverted just 15 percent of the food that currently goes to landfills, we could cut the number of food insecure Americans in half. 

Food waste occurs at all levels of the supply chain.  On farms, a surprising amount of food is left to rot in fields because of cosmetic blemishes or price changes that make it unprofitable to harvest and transport.  Grocery stores overstock produce that isn’t bought.  And consumers throw out food that has passed its “Best by” date, but is still fine to eat. 

All of this adds up and it’s bad for the economy, environment, and families.  The waste represents $162 billion of lost money annually—translating to about $1,560 for a family of four.  The 133 billion pounds of food a year that ends up in landfills emit high amounts of methane, a gas that is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in contributing to climate change.  Much of that food is safe to eat.  

I’m preparing to introduce comprehensive legislation in Congress to get more food to the people who need it while cutting down on waste. We can do so by making key investments in our food system, providing more incentives for donating food, and providing clearer information for consumers. 

Here’s just some of the steps my bill will take: 

Reforming “Best by” and “Use by” dates—Many consumers believe they have to throw out food after these dates, which are determined by manufacturers.  But often, food is still safe to eat long after those dates have gone by.  My legislation would make sure these dates are noted as recommendations, rather than requirements. 

Raising awareness about the effects of food waste—By educating the public about the negative consequences of food waste, they can make more informed choices and save money.  Learning more about this issue has certainly changed some of the decisions I’ve made in how I purchase, use, and discard food. 

Incentivizing food donations—We can provide better financial incentives to encourage farms, retailers, and institutions to donate food to organizations that help feed the hungry.  This could include farms allowing people to glean un-harvested crops from fields or institutions and retailers bringing unsold prepared food to a homeless shelter. 

Investing in our food infrastructure—By expanding the scope of existing federal grants and loan programs, we can make needed investment in things like food storage, municipal composting, and waste-to-energy projects.

I’m proud to say that Maine is already taking steps to address the joint problems of food waste and hunger. We have organizations and individuals who are working hard to provide food assistance to Maine families; some retailers are moving toward “zero waste;” and companies are scaling up operations to repurpose food for compost and energy.  

But this is a national problem that shouldn’t be left to them alone. The federal government needs to do its part by supporting these kinds of efforts so more food across the country can get to the dinner table rather than the landfill.