Governor expands program to prevent people from having to choose between 'paying rent or putting food on the table'

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded the state's Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Program, helping families in need and reducing food waste in one fell swoop.

Signed into law in 2022, the program requires "businesses and institutions that generate an annual average of two tons of wasted food per week" to either donate excess edible food and recycle any remaining scraps within a 25-mile radius of an organic recycler, like a composting facility.

The newly expanded bill signed by Hochul expands the radius to 50 miles and requires additional businesses and institutions to follow the donation guidelines.

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In a statement obtained by Environmental Energy Leader, Governor Hochul said, "No one in New York should be forced to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. Expanding the State's Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law will expand access to food supplies and make sure families in need have the resources they deserve."

Food waste and insecurity are closely linked. According to Feeding America, 92 billion pounds of food go to waste annually, equal to 145 billion meals and worth $473 billion. As edible food goes to waste, in 2023, the USDA reports that 13.5% (or 18 million) households in the United States faced food insecurity, an increase from the previous year.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that of the food wasted in the United States, about 60% of it ends up in landfills. While sitting there and rotting, food materials emit methane gas, which contributes to climate change, one of the more powerful gasses negatively impacting the environment. As climate change continues, conditions for farmers are ever-shifting, leading them to struggle to maintain crops and impacting the food supply.

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The New York Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Program has successfully diverted 32 million pounds of food from landfills, per Environmental Energy Leader, and has earned praise as a leading example of effective implementation of such a program.

In her State of the State address in January, Hochul also announced a proposal for New York to provide nutritious breakfasts and lunches for free to all schoolchildren regardless of socioeconomic background, per the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center.

While there are costs associated with the plans, ensuring food doesn't go to waste and that students are fed each has economic benefits as well. A report from The Rockefeller Foundation found "that while school meal programs cost $18.7 billion annually to implement, they provide $40 billion in health and economic benefits to more than 30 million students daily."