[Chicago, IL, October 7, 2025] — Western Growers Association, the trade association representing farmers in the West and Southwest regions of the United States, has joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact (Pact), a joint initiative led by nonprofits ReFED and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain. Western Growers becomes the first Pact signatory to represent growers and farmers, with the association joining 24 other food businesses and organizations participating in the collaborative food waste reduction effort.

According to ReFED, 31% of the food supply goes unsold or uneaten in the United States each year, and the majority of that surplus food is sent to waste destinations like landfills, incinerators, and sewer systems. Wasted food generates 10% of the United States’ methane emissions, and it accounts for 16% of freshwater use and 16% of land use. Over 17 million tons of food loss is reported annually, just in the agricultural production phase, which requires water, land, and energy to grow, process, and transport fresh produce crops. This surplus equates to nearly 30 billion meals per year, valued at over $13 billion.

“We’re proud to sign onto the U.S. Food Waste Pact,” said Jeana Cadby, Environment and Climate Director at Western Growers Association. “Food waste touches so much of what the farmers in Western Growers care about—from efficient and sustainable resource use to developing new markets for otherwise unmarketable produce. Collaborating with Pact signatories in other sectors will help maximize our impact and bolster our sustainability work, and we are eager to bring that growers’ perspective to the table.”

Through initiatives like the Global Farm Loss Tool, the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment (SPPA), and WG food safety programs, Western Growers is committed to supporting growers to increase profitability, reduce environmental impact, and ensure more fresh produce reaches consumers rather than going to waste. Joining the Pact amplifies the work of its members and the fresh produce industry to build a healthy, sustainable, and profitable future.

“We’re so pleased to welcome Western Growers into the Pact,” said Jackie Suggitt, vice president of business initiatives & community engagement at ReFED. “We’ve had the pleasure of working with them already on one of our whole chain projects, and it’s great to officially have them in the Pact. We look forward to the supply chain perspective they bring as an organization that works with growers.”

Western Growers Association is the twenty-fifth business to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact, which uses the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to make meaningful progress on food waste reduction. Other current signatories are retailers Ahold Delhaize USA, Albertsons Companies, ALDI US, Amazon Fresh, Kroger, Raley’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart Inc., and Whole Foods Market; manufacturers Bob’s Red Mill, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, and Lamb Weston, Inc.; coalition signatories FMI—The Food Industry Association, Health Care Without Harm, and the R&DE Stanford Food Institute; foodservice signatories Aramark, Compass Group USA, ISS Guckenheimer, and Sodexo USA; quick-service restaurants Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Wawa; hospitality signatory Hilton; and distributor Organically Grown Company.

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About the U.S. Food Waste Pact

The U.S. Food Waste Pact is a national voluntary agreement that uses the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to reduce food waste across the supply chain. The Pact works with waste-generating food businesses to collect and analyze data about food waste in their operations, share best practices through precompetitive working groups, and pilot and scale solutions through intervention projects. The Pact is an initiative between nonprofits ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund. For more information about the U.S. Food Waste Pact, visit http://usfoodwastepact.org/.

About Western Growers Association

Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America’s fresh organic produce.

Media Contacts:

Nia D’Emilio, ReFED

[email protected]

Susan McCarthy, WWF

[email protected]