ASSEMBLY HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION No. 172

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 29, 2018

      The Assembly Human Services Committee reports favorably Assembly Joint Resolution No. 172.

     This joint resolution designates the Thursday of the third week of September of each year as “Food Waste Prevention Day” in New Jersey. “Food Waste Prevention Day” aims to fight the epidemic of food waste by bringing awareness to the issue and fostering partnerships between individuals and businesses in order to create and share solutions to prevent food waste.

     Measures have been implemented at both the federal level and in New Jersey to encourage and incentivize food donations as a way to reduce food waste. Currently, many businesses are hesitant to donate excess food because of the threat of liability for food related injuries or deaths. The federal “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act,” however, absolves those who donate food in good faith to nonprofit organizations from civil and criminal liability related to such donations. New Jersey provides similar protections in its “Food Bank Good Samaritan Act.” Businesses of all kinds can also take advantage of an enhanced federal tax deduction for food donations made to qualifying charities and nonprofit organizations.

     Despite various efforts to address the food waste epidemic, each year, approximately 160 billion pounds of food, or up to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States annually, end up as food waste. Furthermore, the United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 12.3 percent of households in 2016 lacked consistent access to adequate food.

     Coinciding with similar efforts on the federal level, New Jersey has set a goal of reducing the amount of food waste annually generated in the State by 50 percent by the year 2030. Households can engage in a number of techniques to help achieve this goal. Educating citizens and businesses on the issue of food waste by recognizing “Food Waste Prevention Day” will help New Jersey and the United States reduce the financial, environmental, and social impacts of food waste.