Sponsors (2)
The bill aims to boost food donations, improve redistribution, and reduce waste through voluntary certification, interagency coordination, and modest federal funding—benefiting food banks, low‑income households, and local waste outcomes—while imposing new certification burdens, potentially favoring larger firms, and risking limited national impact without mandatory measures.
Low-income and food-insecure households (and the nonprofits that serve them) are likely to see increased availability of recovered/donated food because the bill promotes donations, documents donated quantities, and strengthens federal coordination and donation pathways.
Local governments and communities may reduce landfill waste and local disposal costs because the bill encourages alternative disposal methods (animal feed, anaerobic digestion, composting).
Food producers, distributors, and regulators get clearer federal coordination and interagency guidance, which can reduce regulatory uncertainty and transactional compliance costs for industry.
Small farms, restaurants, schools, and other businesses will face administrative burdens because they must collect and submit 12 months of donation/disposal data and pay for third‑party certification.
Because certification and promotion are voluntary and have costs, larger firms that can absorb those costs may gain disproportionate recognition, putting smaller businesses at a market disadvantage.
As a voluntary program, it may achieve limited nationwide reductions in food waste and could create a false sense of progress without mandatory measures.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a voluntary USDA certification program to recognize and promote entities that reduce food loss and waste and funds its administration.
Official title: Amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish a voluntary program to reduce food loss and waste, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 4, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress March 4, 2025
Creates a voluntary USDA Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification Program to recognize and promote companies and organizations that reduce food loss and waste. The bill directs USDA to set certification criteria, accredit certifiers, solicit stakeholder input, publish lists of certified participants, coordinate with FDA and EPA, and provides $3 million per year for FY2026–2030 to run the program. Also requires USDA, FDA, and EPA to update their existing interagency agreement on food loss and waste to align with the new program’s requirements and processes.