There are a lot of legislation and policies that are barriers to food recovery. And there are a lot of easy policy changes that can make a huge difference. Check out some current campaigns that need your help below.
Current Campaigns that Need Help
SUPPORT DC’S “SAVE GOOD FOOD ACT”
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Help Reduce Food Waste and Hunger in DC!
Urge Council Member Jack Evans to Vote B22-0072, the Save Good Food Amendment Act of 2017, out of the Finance & Revenue Committee and bring it to a full Council vote!
Credit: DCCK
Why is this bill important?
1/3 of all food ($161 billion) in the US is never eaten. That is a huge waste of labor, energy, water, and money. Yet, according to a 2017 USDA report 11.4% of DC households don’t have enough food to adequately feed their families.
This bill will create a tax credit to encourage donations of good, wholesome food to those who need it, and divert wasted food away from landfills where it emits greenhouse gases.
Why is this a good bill for DC?
This bill will incentivize food donations by:
- Providing a tax credit to help cover costs associated with food donations;
- Expanding liability protections for food donations;
- Requiring the Dept. of Health and Office of Waste Diversion to create a guide on food donation; and
- Reviewing and updating the Department of Health’s overly restrictive food date labeling regulations.
This bill won’t prevent food waste and feed DC families if it’s stuck in Committee. Let’s stop wasting good food and get it to those in need!
#SaveGoodFood
because
good food is a terrible thing to waste.
These DC businesses have expressed support for this bill:
• 7th Hill Pizza
• Galley Foods
• Mess Hall
• Santa Rosa Taqueria
• Beefsteak
• Glen’s Garden Market
• Odd Provisions
• Seylou Bakery
• Bread Furst
• Good Food Markets
• Peregrine Espresso
• Shop Made in DC
• Bullfrog Bagels
• Good Stuff Eatery
• Pleasant Pops
• Up Top Acres
• Busboys & Poets
• Kyirisan
• Radici
• We, the Pizza
The following DC non-profit organizations support the Save Good Food Amendment Act:
• Charlie’s Place
• East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
• DC Central Kitchen
• Food Rescue US
• DC Chapter of the Sierra Club
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• DC Environmental Network
• MEANS Database
• DC Food Recovery Working Group
• Thrive DC
• DC Greens
And, 454 residents have signed a petition urging Councilmember Evans to move the bill forward!
What’s the history of this bill?
- On January 24, 2017, B22-0072 was introduced by Councilmembers Cheh, Nadeau, Grosso, Allen, and Evans. The bill was referred to Committee on Health and Committee on Finance and Revenue.
- On March 28, 2017, a joint public hearing was held on the bill by the Council’s Finance and Revenue Committee and the Committee on Health. At the hearing, Elissa Borges from the Office of Tax and Revenue and Arian Gibson from the Department of Health provided testimony in support of the bill.
- On June 21,2017, the Committee on Health voted unanimously in favor of the bill and it was referred to the Committee on Finance and Revenue.
- The Committee of Finance and Revenue has not moved the bill for almost one year.
How You Can Help?
Please contact Councilmember Jack Evans and ask him to bring this bill to a vote in the Committee on Finance and Revenue before the Council’s summer recess.
Email: jevans@dccouncil.us
Twitter: @JackEvansWard2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackEvansWard2/
DC Central Kitchen created a resource sheet about this bill and tips to help write to express support.
Sign on our Petition
Urge Councilmember Evans to support DC’s “Save Good Food Amendment Act of 2017”
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Advocacy Guides
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Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Policy Ideas for States and Localities
The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic published this toolkit to provide comprehensive information on eight different policy areas that states and localities can consider as they ramp up efforts to reduce food waste. The toolkit includes recommendations for each of the policy areas, which can be utilized by legislators, advocates, food donors, and food recovery organizations to call for policy changes. Each section of the toolkit describes the relevant federal laws, provides state examples, and offers the Clinic’s policy recommendations.
The policy areas are:
• Liability Protection for Food Donations;
• Tax Incentives for Food Donations;
• Date Labeling;
• Food Safety for Food Donations;
• Food Waste Reduction in K-12 Schools;
• Feeding Food Scraps to Livestock;
• Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws; and
• Government Support for Food Waste Reduction.
DC Food Recovery Working Group 