URI receives grant to help reduce food waste, boost food access

The University of Rhode Island (URI) has received a $100,000 federal grant that will help reduce food waste while improving access to healthy, locally grown food for residents in need, reports The Associated Press.

The grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to establish the Food System Steward Program at URI, according to a statement from Sen. Jack Reed’s office.

The program, which will involve coursework and community stewardship projects, will train adult learners to reduce food waste, provide healthy food to under-served populations, adopt conservation behaviors and foster community engagement around food waste solutions, the university said.

The program is expected to recover more than 60,000 pounds of food waste and direct 40,000 pounds of locally grown produce to food insecure populations.

“With the pandemic bringing food access and food waste issues to the forefront, this program will appeal to Rhode Islanders who wish to contribute to local solutions to these pressing problems,” URI Cooperative Extension State Program Leader Vanessa Venturini said in a statement.