In a significant move to address the critical issue of food waste, a bipartisan group of eight Senators has urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to incorporate rendering into the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. You can read the full letter they sent here.
The Senators Behind the Initiative
Led by Senators Roger Marshall, Michael Bennet, and Jerry Moran, the letter was also signed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member John Boozman, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, Alex Padilla, and Tina Smith. These lawmakers expressed their concern over the exclusion of rendering, a process that converts waste animal tissue into useful materials, from the national food waste strategy.
Key Points of the Letter
The Senators highlighted that omitting rendering from the strategy could hinder progress toward the 2015 national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. “We are concerned that this draft strategy, with rendering omitted, will not accelerate progress towards the 2015 national goal to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. Instead, the strategy will only serve to incentivize other recycling technologies at the expense of the rendering industry,” they warned. The letter urges the EPA, USDA, and FDA to recognize the importance of rendering and update the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale to reflect its crucial role.
NARA’s Response and Advocacy Efforts
The North American Renderers Association (NARA) quickly responded to this development in a press release on May 9th. This initiative is part of NARA’s ongoing advocacy to underscore rendering’s significance in reducing food loss and waste. Supported by 12 national trade associations, NARA has been actively engaging with the EPA and USDA, emphasizing the essential role of rendering in sustainable food waste management.
Looking Ahead
This advocacy effort will be a focal point during NARA’s June fly-in, where the industry aims to further highlight the importance of rendering. As NARA and its allies continue to push for the inclusion of rendering in the national food waste strategy, the hope is to ensure a more comprehensive and effective approach to tackling food waste in the United States.
Stay tuned for more updates on this critical issue and the ongoing efforts to integrate rendering into national food waste reduction strategies.
