Find reports, policy insights, recommendations, and more.

State

September 2017

The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic was commissioned by Philabundance to develop this report outlining legislative strategies and regulatory opportunities that could reduce food waste in Pennsylvania. The goal of this report is to understand how to build on best practices from across the country and address the unique strengths and challenges within Pennsylvania.

Don’t Waste, Donate: Enhancing Food Donations Through Federal Policy

Prevention | Recovery

Date Labeling | Liability Protections | Tax Incentives | Food Safety for Food Donations

March 2017

A number of federal laws and policies strive to enhance food recovery, yet many are out of touch with the evolving landscape of food donation and the effectiveness of others is limited by a number of barriers. This policy paper presents actions the federal government can take to better align federal laws and policies with the objective of increasing donation of safe surplus food.

Moving Food Waste Forward | Policy Recommendations for Next Steps in Massachusetts

State

February 2017

In October of 2016, the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic released Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Policy Ideas for States and Localities, a resource that provides detailed information on how states and local governments can contribute to local food waste reduction. This report applies and refines that resource to provide information and recommendations specific to Massachusetts stakeholders. Massachusetts stakeholders can use the information in this report to determine key priorities for next steps in policy change to further reduce the amount of food wasted in the state.

ReFED Policy Finder

January 2017

Since 2017, FLPC and ReFED have partnered together on the Policy Finder, a tool which provides information on six policy areas that affect food waste nationwide: Date Labeling, Tax Incentives, Liability Protections, Food Safety for Food Donations, Animal Feed, and Organic Waste Bans. In addition to state laws, the Policy Finder provides an overview of current federal policies, proposed federal policies, and future policy goals. The Policy Finder is meant to be a tool for nonprofits, businesses, and government officials to understand current policies in their jurisdiction and nationwide and use this knowledge to advocate for better policies.

Keeping Food Out of the Landfill

Prevention | Recovery

Date Labeling | Liability Protections | Tax Incentives | Food Safety for Food Donations

October 2016

This toolkit was developed in response to the growing state and local interest in adopting policies to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste. This toolkit surveys eight different policy areas that state and local governments can examine as methods to reduce food waste and increase food recovery. This toolkit also provides information about the relevant federal laws, because they often serve as a legal floor, on which states can layer additional protections or opportunities. This toolkit should be useful to legislators on the state and local levels and their staff members, to the vast array of potential food donors (including large and small businesses, farmers, food producers, manufacturers, schools, institutions, and end consumers), and to activists and concerned citizens seeking to use policy to reduce food waste. The suggestions and highlighted best practices are intended to provide context and resources for state and local actors as they seek to improve their local food recovery landscape.

Leftovers for Livestock: A Legal Guide for Using Food Scraps as Animal Feed

Recycling

Food Scraps for Animal Feed

August 2016

This paper provides guidance to food scrap generators, farmers, and other stakeholders interested in using food scraps as animal feed by discussing federal and state regulations bearing on animal feed safety. This paper also lays out a core set of considerations for those interested in feeding food scraps to animal feed.

Article on Consumer Perception of Date Labels

Date Labeling | Not Really Expired

May 2016

This article summarizes the findings of a consumer survey gathering insights into consumer perceptions of food date labels. The 2016 survey captured responses from a demographically representative sample of 1,029 adults. The questions posed were part of a CARAVAN® omnibus survey that is conducted twice a week by ORC International and the findings are one piece of a larger analysis of consumer perceptions of date labels.

Federal Enhanced Tax Deduction for Food Donation

Tax Incentives

April 2016

This guide provides an overview of the general federal tax deductions available for businesses that donate food, explains how the enhanced tax deduction is calculated, and reviews the additional requirements for businesses to receive this enhanced tax deduction.

Op-Ed: Is that milk past its ‘sell by’ date? Drink it anyway.

Date Labeling | Not Really Expired

February 2016

Op-Ed on the impact of food date labeling by Emily Broad Leib

US Food Loss and Waste Policy Action Plan for Congress and the Administration

Date Labeling | Government Grants and Incentives | Consumer Education

December 2013

FLPC, ReFED, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) compiled these recommendations for the Biden administration and Congress to take ambitious action to reduce FLW.

The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to FW in America