Composting and Food Waste Reduction Program

The goals and objectives of this program are:
• Food Waste Reduction Objectives
o Reduce municipal food and waste
o Divert residential and commercial food waste from landfills
• Composting and Conservation Objectives
o Generate compost
o Increase agricultural producers' access to compost
o Reduce reliance on, and limit the use of, chemical fertilizer
o Improve soil quality
o Encourage waste management and permaculture business
development.
o Increase rainwater utilization (capture, infiltration, or absorption)

Applications are subjected to a system of peer and merit review in accordance with section 103 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613) by a panel of qualified scientists and other appropriate persons who are specialists in the field covered by the proposal. Within the limit of funds available for such purpose, the NIFA Authorized Departmental Officer (ADO) shall make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in the NOFO. Reviewers will be selected based upon training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors: (a) The level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities; (b) the need to include as reviewers experts from various areas of specialization within relevant CFWR extension fields; (c) the need to include as reviewers other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs; (d) the need to include as reviewers experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., schools, local government, industry, state and Federal agencies, private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations; (e) the need to maintain a balanced composition of reviewers with regard to gender representation and an age distribution; and (f) the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness to producers and the general public of each application. Evaluation Criteria will be delineated in the NOFO.

Refer to the NOFO.