Home Industries Food & Agriculture R.I. Food Policy Council receives $18.7M federal grant to address food waste...

R.I. Food Policy Council receives $18.7M federal grant to address food waste reduction

By

James Bessette

-

12/18/2024

THE RHODE ISLAND Food Policy Council has received an $18.7 million federal grant to help finance a project that will address food waste reduction, climate resilience and capacity building within the local community. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND FOOD POLICY COUNCIL

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Food Policy Council has received a major eight-figure federal grant to help finance a project that the council says will address food waste reduction, climate resilience and capacity building within the local community. The council announced Wednesday that it has received an $18.7 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Inflation Reduction

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PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Food Policy Council has received a major eight-figure federal grant to help finance a project that the council says will address food waste reduction, climate resilience and capacity building within the local community. The council announced Wednesday that it has received an $18.7 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grants Program grant to support the local nonprofit’s project. The project, titled “From Food Waste to Opportunity: A Path toward Climate, Environmental, & Economic Justice in Rhode Island,” will have the council and its community partners implement over the next three years a multilevel approach to food waste reduction, donation, and composting in 64 contiguous qualifying census tracts in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Newport and Middletown, the council says. The organization says the project will train more 500 people to participate in the circular economy, engage more than 300 businesses, schools, and other organizations in excess food donation and food waste composting, create nearly 40 new jobs, provide free compost pickup services for 15,000 households in local communities by using clean electric trucks and bicycles. The project will also install more than 30 community compost pickup locations and nine new compost processing facilities of all sizes. After three years, the project will help divert more than 11,000 tons of food waste from the landfill, the council says, eliminating more than 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere. “This project grew out of the close collaboration of many partners – community-based organizations, municipalities, composters, and conservation and environmental organizations.” Council board President Diane Lynch said in a statement. “The resulting project plan will kickstart R.I.’s food waste reduction in an equitable, efficient and thoughtful way, and the benefits from this generous funding will be felt for many years to come.” James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.