NARA: No path to reducing food loss, waste 50% by 2030 per draft US strategy without rendering

Source: North American Renderers Association

The North American Renderers Association is disappointed that rendering was omitted in the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste.

The North American Renderers Association has submitted comments to U.S. EPA on the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.

The draft strategy was jointly developed by EPA, USDA and the Food and Drug Administration.

In its comments, NARA encouraged the three agencies to recognize the critical role the rendering industry plays in preventing food loss and waste and reducing society’s overall food-production footprint.

“Given renderers are the largest recycler of organic food loss and waste (FLW), we were surprised and disappointed that rendering was not mentioned in the plan,” said Kent Swisher, president and CEO of NARA. “The North American rendering industry has been upcycling FLW since the 1800s.”

Swisher continued, saying, “We are the original recyclers and were a part of the circular economy even before the term was coined. The final strategy must acknowledge the integral contributions of rendering to reduce FLW by reducing what is sent to a landfill and promoting a circular economy. We urge the EPA and USDA to acknowledge rendering’s important role in FLW and how it can assist in reaching their reduction targets. We don’t see a path to meet the stated goal of reducing food loss and waste in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030 without rendering, the largest FLW recycler.”

In its comments, NARA also encouraged the three agencies to take a technology-neutral approach to avoid subsidizing newer technologies that collect raw materials traditionally used by the rendering industry.

Measurement of progress towards the national FLW goal should be built on sound science that recognizes the concept of additionality.

NARA said it will welcome further cooperation and collaboration with EPA, USDA and FDA in expanding the organic-recycling market through research at the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation and the Animal Coproducts Research & Education Center.