Food Well Alliance releases white paper with strategies to increase compost production

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New Report: Food Well Alliance collaborates with local food stakeholders to identify strategic solutions to increase sustainable compost production for Atlanta’s urban growers

While the demand for high-quality, locally produced compost is on the rise in Metro Atlanta, regulatory uncertainty and food waste contamination are among key factors hindering the growth of Georgia’s compost industry.

A white paper released today by Food Well Alliance outlines these challenges and offers strategic recommendations formulated by a coalition of compost experts, educators, regulators and urban growers to reuse food waste to increase community-based composting in Metro Atlanta.

Together, these local food stakeholders - including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; City of Atlanta, Office of Sustainability; Georgia Recycling Coalition; Georgia Restaurant Association; Truly Living Well Center for Urban Agriculture; and Compostwheels - have expanded on Food Well Alliance’s work to build healthy soil by increasing community-based composting capacity for urban farms and community gardens.

According to the white paper titled, Closing the Loop: Food Waste in Atlanta:

  • Locally produced compost demand is strong and growing, but compost producers are unable to meet demand.
  • Georgia’s compost industry needs the right regulatory climate so urban growers can grow more sustainably-grown, locally-produced food.
  • Feedstock contamination is a safety issue and economic issue.
  • The social enterprise model is an attractive solution to increase community-based composting.

Food Well Alliance believes community-based composting has the ability to effectively manage food waste and create healthier soil for Atlanta’s urban growers. With close to 40% of the landfills in Metro Atlanta filled with wasted food, the wasted food could be diverted as feedstock in the production of community-based compost and used locally by urban growers to produce more local food.

For more information and to download your copy of the white paper visit www.foodwellalliance.org/compostwhitepaper.