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Authorizing the Department of Public Works to apply for and, if awarded, accept funds from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for the Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue in an amount of up to $75,000 for budget and program year 2020.
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WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works is prepared to accept grant funds from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue Grant Program; and,
WHEREAS, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report, up to 40 percent of the food in the United States goes uneaten; and,
WHEREAS, at the same time, one in eight Americans struggles to put enough food on the table; and,
WHEREAS, food waste is a significant contributor to climate change, responsible for at least 2.6 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions; and,
WHEREAS, redirecting one-third of the food that we now throw away, and giving it to people, would more than cover unmet food needs across the country; and,
WHEREAS, the City wishes to reduce the generation of food waste; and,
WHEREAS, the grant funds, if awarded, will provide promotion in all wards within the City of the best practices outlined in the Food Too Good to Waste EPA toolkit, focused on reducing household food waste; and,
WHEREAS, The Food Too Good to Waste EPA toolkit, with simple strategies and tips to help individuals and families prevent wasted food at home, has been linked to a 25% reduction in household wasted food; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds, if awarded, will provide training and educational opportunities for reducing household food waste and grocery costs; and,
WHEREAS, the grant funds, if awarded, will provide additional support for culturally specific outreach to diverse communities in the City to increase food waste prevention efforts; and,
WHEREAS, the grant funds, if awarded, will help the City develop a list of recommendations for future efforts to reduce waste within the City; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the Food Too Good to Waste program has a public purpose; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, that the City Council of Saint Paul hereby authorizes the Department of Public Works to apply for and if awarded accept grant funds from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for the Prevention of Wasted Food and Food Rescue Grant in an amount of up to $75,000 for budget and program year 2020.