Title
Request Retroactive Authorization to Apply for, Accept and Disburse funding for National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project Grant Application: Catalyst Grant (Ordinance S-53287) - Citywide
Description
Request to retroactively authorize the City Manager, or the City Manager's designee, to apply for, accept and, if awarded, enter into an agreement(s) and any memorandums of agreement necessary for disbursement of funding from the World Wildlife Fund through the National Household Wasted Food Project Grant opportunity. If awarded, the funding will be used to implement a multi-tier education and community awareness campaign to promote food waste prevention across the City of Phoenix. The campaign will encompass multiple scales of engagement, starting at the household level with a revamp of the City's Food Waste Watchers program. The project will also include a neighborhood champions program to create peer-learning opportunities, community workshops with local technical assistance providers and citywide messaging that leverages City channels to broadly spread the word about the initiative. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, all funds related to this item in an amount not to exceed $623,000.
Report
Summary
Background
The Ending Wasted Food Within a Generation (EWF) Program will fund projects that will reduce wasted food in households through the National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project (NHWFPP).
In the City of Phoenix, it is estimated that 270,000 tons of food waste enter the landfill each year (Natural Resources Defense Council [NRDC], 2023). Among the numerous sources of food waste generation in Phoenix, more than three-quarters of this food waste comes from households and restaurants (NRDC, 2023).The residential sector was estimated to be the largest contributor of food waste, producing nearly 149,000 tons of food waste per year in Phoenix. The City of Phoenix's commitment to ending wasted food is outlined in several strategic plans such as the 2021 Climate Action Plan, which includes goals of reaching a 50 percent diversion rate by 2030; the 2030 Phoenix Food Action Plan, where food waste prevention is one of the ten strategic priorities; and the Zero Waste and Circular Economy Roadmap goal to divert 50 percent of waste by 2050.
Project Scope
The City of Phoenix Office of Environmental Programs and the Public Works Department, along with community partners (Unlimited Potential, Pinnacle Prevention, Creighton Community Foundation and Arizona State University) will implement a multi-tier education and community awareness campaign to promote food waste prevention across the City of Phoenix. The "Food Waste Watchers: Ending Food Waste in Phoenix" project will encompass multiple scales of engagement, starting at the household level with a revamp of the City's Food Waste Watchers program. The project will also include a neighborhood champions program to create peer-learning opportunities, community workshops with local technical assistance providers and citywide messaging that leverages City channels to broadly spread the word about the initiative.
Contract Term
Grant applications were due on September 1, 2026, with funding available from January 2027 until October 2029.
Financial Impact
The World Wildlife Fund provides grant funding. No match is required for this grant.
Food Systems general funds can be leveraged to contract additional food waste prevention education providers.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by the Deputy City Manager Alan Stephenson and the Office of Environmental Programs and the Public Works Department.