Aquidneck Community Table (ACT) today announced a $745,346 grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and R.I. Food Policy Council (RIFPC) to expand local food and composting education and services in area schools. The award is part of a broader $18.7M investment by the EPA to markedly reduce food waste in Rhode Island.
“We are excited to be part of this important work,” said Laura O’Toole, chair of the ACT Board of Directors. “Expanding garden and compost programs in our communities and schools is vital to addressing food inequities and strengthening peoples’ understanding of the food lifecycle and its impact on the health of our populace, communities, and environment. We are grateful for the support of the EPA, RIFPC and all grant partners to chart a brighter food future for Aquidneck Island.”
The three-year grant represents a significant milestone for ACT, which is launching a new strategic plan in 2025. Founded in 2016, ACT works to connect islanders to local foods and to promote the growth of local food and farming businesses. In addition to makers markets, farmland, and community gardens, ACT offers various learning opportunities to teach people about food systems. Since 2018, ACT has operated a popular gardening program at Pell Elementary School, with over 450 students participating each year. Students learn about growing food – along with plant lifecycles, soil health, and composting.
Over the next three years, ACT will expand the in-school garden and compost programs at Pell and create a new incentive program to promote composting among school families. Similar programming is planned for Thompson Middle and Rogers High School.
“We are laser focused on building a strong, fair, and resilient food system on Aquidneck Island,” said Rose Jones, executive director of ACT. “Meaningfully connecting islanders to local, healthy foods and keeping food out of the waste stream are critical to achieving this vision. This grant award is a game changer and will greatly accelerate our work and impact on the island. We are grateful to the EPA and RIFPC for their leadership and partnership and look forward to working with all grant partners on this project.”
RIFPC was awarded $18.7M under the EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grant Program to launch Food Waste to Opportunity: A Path toward Climate, Environmental, and Economic Justice in Rhode Island. The project will enable a generational investment in food waste reduction. In Rhode Island, food waste is the top single material in the state’s waste stream, with more than 40 percent of unused food sent to landfills. Approximately eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to food waste.
“This transformational grant will move Rhode Island toward climate, environmental, and economic justice,” said Nessa Richman, executive director of RIFPC. “We are proud to partner with ACT to bring food waste reduction, donation and recycling to a new level in the target communities in Newport and Middletown.”
Over the next three years, RIFPC and its municipal and nonprofit partners will implement a multilevel approach to food waste reduction, donation, and composting in 64 contiguous qualifying census tracts in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls and 14 in Newport and Middletown. These communities are ideal sites for the project based on the unique strengths of their residents, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and institutions.
Other community partners in the project include Groundwork RI, Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District, Center for EcoTechnology, FoodRecovery.org, URI Cooperative Extension, and the Rhode Island Schools Recycle Project.
For more information about ACT, visit www.aquidneckcommunitytable.org.
