Governor Wes Moore signed the On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program (Senate Bill 599/House Bill 429) into law. The program, which passed overwhelmingly in both legislative chambers, will allocate $250,000 in annual grants to help Maryland farmers invest in composting infrastructure, equipment for food rescue and preservation, and additional support including training.
鈥淲e applaud Governor Moore, Delegate Boyce, and Senator Hester for their vision, persistence, and bipartisan leadership to see this strategic initiative through to the finish line,鈥� says Sophia Jones, Associate Director for Policy and Advocacy at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 鈥淔armers and growers are a cornerstone of Maryland鈥檚 culture and economy. By investing in on-farm food rescue and composting programs, we鈥檒l strengthen food security and create sustainable jobs while diverting valuable organic materials from disposal.鈥�
The program will prevent food and other organic waste from being buried in one of Maryland鈥檚 48 municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, making a dent in the highly potent greenhouse gas, methane. In 2023, estimated methane emissions from Maryland landfills were equal to approximately 720,500 cars on the road. Beyond climate impacts, more than 3 million Marylanders live within five miles of a landfill, facing elevated exposure to toxins like benzene, toluene, and sulfur dioxide linked to asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
The law will also help challenge the harmful and expensive cycle of wasted food exacerbating hunger. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tons of food are landfilled or incinerated in Maryland 鈥� much of it still perfectly safe for consumption 鈥� while one in six Maryland children experiences food insecurity.
鈥淏urning and burying uneaten food is the definition of a lose-lose system, harming people, our wallets, and our planet,鈥� says Emily Ranson, Chesapeake Regional Director at Clean Water Action. 鈥淲ith his signature, Governor Moore has taken an important step toward building a waste management system where clean air, healthy, thriving communities, and economic opportunity all reinforce one another.鈥�
The new law builds on Maryland鈥檚 food waste momentum, including a 2021 law requiring food waste generators to keep wasted food out of landfills and incinerators and a 2023 law that expanded farms鈥� ability to compost food scraps. The grant program is set to begin on July 1, 2028, administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Priority funding will go toward projects that serve overburdened or underserved communities, provide direct and meaningful community benefits, create jobs that pay a living wage, and support inclusive hiring and leadership development. Projects that prevent, rescue, and divert food waste within local communities will also be prioritized.
鈥淭his program isn鈥檛 just about recycling and diverting wasted food; it鈥檚 about ensuring the many benefits go toward the communities with the most to gain,鈥� says Walkiria Pool, President and Founder of Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF). 鈥�Thank you to the bill sponsors and champions for putting equity at the center and bringing tangible health and economic boosts to Maryland communities.鈥�