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dc.contributor.advisorOtten, Jennifer
dc.contributor.advisorDaniell, William
dc.contributor.authorBenson, Christine
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-26T20:52:57Z
dc.date.submitted2017-08
dc.identifier.otherBenson_washington_0250O_17655.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1773/40660
dc.descriptionThesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2017-08
dc.description.abstractIn the United States, 40 percent of all food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted. This has economic, environmental, and social consequences that justify the involvement of public agencies. Although there have been actions taken by public agencies across the country to address the issue of food waste, little is known about how public agencies are addressing this complex and multifaceted issue. To investigate current efforts of agencies at the state and local level, we conducted a qualitative study of the strategies, challenges, successes, and recommendations of agencies currently doing this work. Comparing the experiences of different agencies, we identify how a scarcity of organizational resources, a lack of dedicated personnel, inadequate metrics, dissimilar goals, and perceived conflicts with EPA recommendations contribute to difficulty in developing and implementing successful programs. We also explore how agencies have used existing metrics, activities, and resources along with a phased-in approach to overcome these barriers. Finally, we address how agencies view stakeholder engagement, cross-sector collaboration, improved metrics, education, comprehensive approaches, and improvements to food recovery as integral components that need to be addressed at a systems-level in order to make food waste prevention possible in a lasting and meaningful way. These findings can be used to inform agencies about strategies and best practices to be used to create effective and successful programs to reduce the burden of wasted food.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.rightsnone
dc.subjectFood Policy
dc.subjectFood Recovery
dc.subjectFood Waste
dc.subjectFood waste prevention
dc.subjectSource Reduction
dc.subjectPublic policy
dc.subjectNutrition
dc.subjectPublic health
dc.subject.otherNutritional sciences
dc.titleA Qualitative Study of U.S. Food Waste Programs and Activities at the State and Local Level
dc.typeThesis
dc.embargo.termsRestrict to UW for 5 years -- then make Open Access
dc.embargo.lift2022-09-30T20:52:57Z


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