LA announces food waste grant competition

Los Angeles officials have announced a new food waste grant competition at the first ever Food Day LA event at City Hall Oct. 24 as part of the city's ongoing efforts to divert waste from landfills.

Project categories include food waste prevention, food donation, upcycled use (including animal feed or fuel) and composting. The total grant pool is expected to reach $100,000 and includes both administrative and project grants. Ten projects to be submitted from members of the public will be selected.

"We should always be looking for new and innovative ways to reduce waste," Mayor Eric Garcetti says. "At a time when nearly half a million tons of food is thrown away each year, this grant will help LA make sure that our resources are being used as efficiently and sustainably as possible—for the good of all Angelenos."

All Food Waste Grant Challenge proposals are due Dec. 8. Awards will be announced in mid-December, with a target start date of all projects on Jan. 22, 2018.

"As we continue to fight against climate change, we need to stop sending food to our landfills," Board of Public Works Vice President Heather Marie Repenning says. "We are challenging our local communities to bring us innovative solutions to help address this problem and end food waste."

Food Day at City Hall was presented by the LA Food Policy Council and also included a Food Day resolution in City Council Chambers. A Future of Food showcase on the South Lawn also featured projects and the release of the new Good Food for All agenda.

"The Board of Public Works is proud to work with groups across the city in addressing food issues," Board President Kevin James says. "The city of Los Angeles is committed to making food waste and recovery a priority and a reality."

Details on the Food Waste Grant Challenge are available at http://goodfoodla.org.