Reducing wasted food has been identified as a key strategy to meet food security goals and attain human nutritional needs and food preferences in an equitable, sustainable, and resilient manner. Yet, mathematically modeling how reducing wasted food contributes to sustainability, equity, and resilience objectives, and the possible interactions and tradeoffs among these metrics, is limited by challenges to quantifying these characteristics. Using the process of convergent science, we develop a prototype wasted food model to evaluate how a set of common equity, sustainability, and resilience measures interact. We consider prevention (consumer education) and treatment (anaerobic digestion and composting) options for wasted food diversion from landfills. The model applies a convex nonlinear optimization to determine the allocation of wasted food to different management alternatives, optimizing for economic (net cost), sustainability (emissions reductions or energy savings), or equity (distribution of per-capita cost or emissions reduction impacts). The model developed in this research is available online as open-source code for others to replicate and build upon for future studies and analysis. Our findings illustrate that optimal wasted food management alternatives may vary when targeting different metrics and that strategies promoting cost-effectiveness may be in tension with sustainability or equity goals and vice versa. The implications of this study could be used by policy makers to evaluate how wasted food reduction measures will impact sustainability, equity, and resilience goals.

Food policies that respond to shocks and support nutritious diets for vulnerable populations can enhance resilience, support social equity, and reduce environmental damage. Using a simulation model, we evaluated the effectiveness of two food redistribution policies—Nourish New York, a program providing funds to food rescue organizations to purchase food directly from farmers, and the Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law (an organics “waste ban”)—in response to a shock such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed policy based on recovered food and life cycle carbon and water footprints over 10 years. Both policies improved produce donations during post-shock. The waste ban increased waste at feeding organizations; diverting unavoidable food waste to composting and anaerobic digestion mitigated its carbon footprint. Enhanced coordination and partnerships within the food redistribution network were crucial for ensuring that produce reached those in need, ultimately reducing long-term environmental impacts. Implementing multiple strategies that enhance recovery from farms and retail, while strengthening the organizational capacity of the food redistribution network, can simultaneously advance food security and environmental goals.

New York State’s Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) were created to support sustainable, equitable, community-driven growth by distributing state funding across diverse regions. While allocations are geographically widespread, our research suggests that structural features of the REDC model may unintentionally reinforce disparities in local capacity and limit long-term impact, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities. This paper asks: To what extent does the REDC model reinforce or reduce disparities in economic development funding? Using qualitative system dynamics, specifically causal loop diagramming, and drawing on public data of RECD funding, interviews with municipal leaders, and public administration theory we examine systemic patterns that shape which municipalities repeatedly secure funding, and which remain excluded, identifying reinforcing and balancing processes that explain such systemic patterns. Key feedback structures include: the Capacity-Investment Loop, where high-capacity communities grow increasingly competitive over time; the Need-Funding Mismatch Loop, where administrative burdens block access for distressed communities; and the Collaboration Loop, which shows how competition can disincentivize shared regional strategies. These loops highlight how program structure—not just intent—shapes outcomes. Our findings suggest that, while the REDC model is intended to promote fairness and efficiency, it risks reproducing the disparities it seeks to address. Adjustments that strengthen regional collaboration, support capacity-building, and align funding with community need may help advance more inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Fresh produce is the most wasted food, accounting for about 45% of household food waste in the United States. The literature is inconclusive about whether nutrition assistance programs aimed at increasing access to healthy food affect household food waste, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the association between participation in nutrition assistance programs (food pantries and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) and changes in household produce waste since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that more fresh produce was distributed to food pantries during the pandemic, we examined whether the perceived quality of fresh produce at food pantries may influence household food waste behavior. We conducted an online survey for adults residing in the Capital Region of New York state from October to December 2021. Among 504 respondents, 27% reported throwing away less produce than usual since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 22% used food pantries, and about half perceived the quality of fresh produce at those pantries as poor. Approximately one-third of respondents were SNAP participants, including the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT). We found that food pantry users who rated produce quality as acceptable had 2.4 times the odds of wasting less produce since the COVID-19 pandemic began compared to non-users of food pantries. Similarly, SNAP/P-EBT users were more likely to report less household produce waste compared to non-SNAP/P-EBT users. Our findings highlight that participation in food assistance programs may help reduce household food waste and underscore the importance of maintaining fresh produce quality at a level clients perceive as acceptable. We suggest greater collaboration among public health nutrition, food waste research, and food systems stakeholders to work toward the common goals of efficiently distributing healthy food, reducing food waste, and eliminating hunger.