Agriculture Resilience Act of 2023

In March 2023, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced companion bills in the House (H.R. 1840) and in the Senate (S. 1016) to set a target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural industry by 2040. Agricultural activities contribute to around 8% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and wasted food generates about 270 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) greenhouse gas emissions annually.

This bill would:

• Encourage commitments by the food and agricultural sector to reduce food loss and waste by 75% and divert 90% of unavoidable food waste from landfills by 2040.
• Mandate that certain federal procurement contracts require the donation of surplus edible food and reporting on rates of food donation, diversion of food scraps to composting or other recycling, and food waste disposal.
• Authorize $100 million in annual grant funding for composting and anaerobic digestion food waste-to-energy projects.
• Create a new USDA grant program to support school food waste reduction projects.
• Support national media campaigns to reduce food waste.
• Establish a food waste research program with a website that details key findings and best practices and provides tools for tracking food waste reduction efforts and measuring impact.