WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of up to $9.5 million for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2023.
The cooperative agreements support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. They are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture.
USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) – led by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service – will accept applications on Grants.gov until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 15, 2023. Projects should span two years with a start date of Dec. 1, 2023, and completion date of Dec. 1, 2025.
“These cooperative agreements support communities in their efforts to reduce and divert food waste from landfills,” NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said. “These projects will empower communities to reduce waste and support agricultural producers through increased access to compost to improve soil health on their operations.”
Cooperative agreements support projects led by local governments or other eligible entities that:
- Generate compost;
- Increase access to compost for agricultural producers;
- Reduce reliance on and limit the use of fertilizer;
- Improve soil quality;
- Encourage waste management and permaculture business development;
- Increase rainwater absorption;
- Reduce municipal food waste; and
- Divert food waste from landfills.
OUAIP will prioritize projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits, incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners, integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts and collaborate with multiple partners. Additional details are available in the grants.gov notice.
This is the third year that OUAIP has offered this funding opportunity. For example, last year, the Interior Alaska Food Waste Reduction and Education Initiative in Fairbanks, Alaska, received funds to support a free backyard composting program, distribution of educational materials, and various workshops that appeal to compost beginners including students.
Meanwhile, the Moving Towards Zero Waste: Expanding Food Waste Diversion and Composting project in Providence, Rhode Island, is subsidizing training and supplies for backyard composting, develop a public education campaign focused on the benefits of food waste diversion and that drives participation in locally available food waste diversion services.
