A $400,000 federal grant will fund the launch of a new city program aimed at reducing food waste and food insecurity. Known as Food Excess, Equitable Distribution or FEED MKE, the pilot program will provide grants in two areas: to support the development of food recovery capacity building and to support the purchase of on-site composting supplies or to institute subscription-based composting services at community locations.
Reducing food waste was one of 鈥�10 Big Ideas鈥� identified in the city鈥檚 2023 Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan. 鈥淭he FEED MKE pilot project offers our city the opportunity to strengthen our economy by reducing waste, addressing hunger, and building programs that inspire hope,鈥� said Mayor Cavalier Johnson in a statement announcing the award. 鈥淭his funding will support significant advancements toward the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan鈥檚 big ideas, specifically waste reduction and sustainable consumption.
The benefits of this work are multiple, including feeding hungry residents, keeping methane-producing food waste out of landfills, composting more organic matter to enrich our soil, and creating employment opportunities for residents living in food-insecure communities.鈥�