The Food Cycle Coalition is a cross-cutting team of the Farm to Plate Network, which is a 10-year initiative for collectively strengthening Vermont’s Food System. Farm to Plate is Vermont’s statewide food system plan with the goal of increasing economic development and jobs in the farm and food sector and improving access to healthy local food for all Vermonters. To learn more about the Food to Plate Network, please visit VT Farm to Plate.
The Food Cycle is comprised of organizations and individuals committed to building healthy and resilient communities where no one is hungry and no resource is wasted.
The Vision
To divert food and organic materials that would otherwise be wasted and convert them into a valuable resource to support our local food system. The FCC will do this through source reduction, food rescue, composting, animal feed utilization and energy production. Diverting quality food and other organic materials from the landfill will help increase food security, create jobs, reduce fossil fuel dependence, reduce greenhouse gases, protect waterways and soil, sustain local food systems, and build stronger communities.
The Farm to Plate Strategic Plan includes 25 goals that will strengthen Vermont’s food system. Act 148, and the diversion of organics from the landfill system, align with many of these goals and overall supports a stronger and more resilient food system for all Vermonters.
These goals are:
- Goal 6: Environmental Impacts
- Goal 14: Nutrient Management
- Goal 15: Food Access
- Goal 17: Jobs and Establishments
- Goal 22: Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Why Compost?
Environmental Benefits
- Reduced production and use of chemical fertilizers, reduced greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer manufacture
- Reduced long distance shipping of fertilizers and chemicals
- Reduced runoff of agrochemicals into watersheds
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfilling and anaerobic digestion
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration in soils
- Reduced topsoil loss
- Increased soil quality with improved drought, disease and weed resistance
- Reduced toxic leachate from landfills
Farm Viability Benefits
- Increased soil fertility improved drought, disease and weed resistance
- Increased or diversified farm income through tipping fees for accepting food scraps and compost sales
- Potential decreased energy use with thermal recovery from compost
- Reduced or eliminated use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides
- Reduced or eliminated expenses for chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
- Reduced erosion and topsoil loss
- Reduced water runoff due to increased soil moisture retention
Community Benefits
- Increased number of jobs
- Increased community participation in resource management
- Increased local resource and dollar circulation
- Increased community soil and food security