NEW YORK- Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation extending the state’s food donation and recycling program for smaller supermarkets through December 31, 2031.
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay (D, Rock Hill) and State Senator Pete Harckham (D, Westchester County), extends provisions requiring smaller supermarkets that do not meet the state’s Designated Food Scraps Generator threshold to make a good-faith effort to work with food relief organizations seeking donations of excess edible food.
The measure is intended to help address food insecurity while reducing the amount of edible food sent to landfills. Under the law, food relief organizations can contact eligible supermarkets in writing to request food donations, without imposing costly or burdensome requirements on the stores.
An estimated 2.8 million New Yorkers, or 14 percent of the state’s population, experience hunger and food insecurity, according to figures cited by Kay. Rising food costs have added to the challenge.
“Fighting food insecurity has been a pillar of my legislative agenda since arriving in Albany,” Kay said, adding that the legislation will help ensure more food reaches people in need rather than going to waste.
Supporters say the extension will strengthen the role smaller supermarkets can play in supporting local food relief organizations while diverting edible food from landfills and reducing emissions associated with waste disposal.
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