Policy to Reduce Methane Emissions and Feed More People

April 3, 2024 — The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), with support from the Global Methane Hub (GMH), are presenting two new papers on how Mexico and Ecuador can reduce methane emissions and improve food security with stronger legislation to support food recovery.  

A third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted, causing corrosive effects on global hunger and climate change. While so much food is squandered, 733 million people are chronically undernourished and a third of the world can’t afford a healthy diet. That wasted food rots in landfills, producing potent methane gas, and is estimated to account for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  

The two papers focus on Mexico and Ecuador, respectively, after food banks in each country participated in the first phase of GFN’s Food Recovery to Avoid Methane Emissions (FRAME) methodology. Demonstrating the effectiveness of food banks at simultaneously mitigating methane emissions and addressing food insecurity, the reports serve as a guide for how policymakers in Mexico and Ecuador can maximize the impact of food banks and other food recovery organizations.  

“Our member food banks in Mexico and Ecuador are proven examples of how food recovery and redistribution can reduce hunger and emissions at the same time and their efforts can be multiplied with stronger national legislation,” said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “These reports show there is no cookie cutter legislation to reduce food loss and waste and increase food recovery. The included recommendations are tailored to lawmakers in Mexico and Ecuador, respectively, and enable them to take bold action in favor of people and the planet.” 

“These reports highlight a crucial intersection: reducing food waste not only combats climate change by mitigating potent methane emissions, but also directly addresses food insecurity,” said Emily Broad Leib, director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School. “By providing concrete, country-specific policy recommendations for Mexico and Ecuador, we’re demonstrating how targeted legal frameworks can empower food recovery organizations to maximize their impact. The Food Law and Policy Clinic is committed to supporting these efforts, ensuring that effective policies translate into real-world solutions that benefit both people and the planet.” 

Key recommendations in Mexico include: 

• Carbon tax: ensure carbon tax revenues are directed towards environmental projects, with a share dedicated specifically to food waste deterrence projects, including food banks 

• Carbon markets: include food banks in deliberation on carbon markets and provide grants or other financial support to enable food banks to enter carbon markets 

• Food waste deterrence: prohibit dumping of organic waste in landfills and strengthen compliance, enforcement and taxing of those who dump organic waste to generate revenue for reduction efforts 

Key recommendations in Ecuador include: 

• Zero Carbon Program (Programa Ecuador Carbono Cero, PECC): ensure food banks can participate in the program, financially support their inclusion in the efforts, and collect robust food waste data on baselines levels and reduction efforts 

• Tax incentives: create tax benefits for food producers to increase food donations and build infrastructure to support food recovery and redistribution 

• Food recovery from agricultural producers: provide grants or incentives to enable agricultural producers to donate unsellable produce and invest in cold chain infrastructure to extend the life of donated produce 

The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas identifies existing laws and policies that support or hinder food waste reduction and food recovery and offers policy recommendations for strengthening frameworks and adopting new measures to fill existing gaps. The analyses featured in country-specific reports and topical policy issue briefs are also encapsulated in an interactive Atlas tool that allows users to compare policies between countries participating in the project.  

Atlas project research is available for 25 countries on five continents plus the European Union. An interactive map, legal guides, policy recommendations, and executive summaries for each country are available at atlas.foodbanking.org.  

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ABOUT THE HARVARD FOOD LAW AND POLICY CLINIC  

Since 2010, the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) has served partner organizations and communities in the U.S. and around the world by providing guidance on cutting-edge food system issues, while engaging law students in the practice of food law and policy. FLPC is committed to advancing a cross-sector, multi-disciplinary and inclusive approach to its work, building partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations, private sector actors, and civil society with expertise in public health, the environment, and the economy. FLPC’s work focuses on increasing access to nutritious foods, addressing the climate-related impacts of food and agricultural systems, reducing waste of healthy, wholesome food, and promoting food system justice. For more information, visit chlpi.org/food-law-and-policy.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL FOODBANKING NETWORK
Food banking offers a solution to both chronic hunger and the climate crisis. GFN works with partners in over 50 countries to recover and redirect food to those who need it. In 2023, our Network provided food to more than 40 million people, reducing food waste and creating healthy, resilient communities. We help the food system function as it should: nourishing people and the planet together. Learn more at foodbanking.org   

ABOUT GLOBAL METHANE HUB  

The Global Methane Hub is a first-of-its-kind philanthropic alliance to support methane emissions reduction around the world. A super pollutant, methane is responsible for more than 45 percent of recent global warming. To reduce methane pollution for a chance to save our climate within our lifetime, Global Methane Hub organizes and convenes governments, industry leaders, scientists, and nonprofit organizations across the globe to minimize methane pollution through technology and common-sense public policies and regulations. Since 2021, the Global Methane Hub has catalyzed over $10 billion in methane reducing project investments by convening funders focused on addressing climate change, raised $500 million in pooled funds from more than 20 of the largest climate philanthropies to accelerate methane mitigation worldwide, and strategically regranted $200 million to over 100 grantees conducting methane reduction work in 152 countries. To learn more about Global Methane Hub, visit globalmethanehub.org.