Bill > SR14

This resolution urges schools in New Jersey to implement share tables in their cafeterias as a strategy to address two interconnected issues: food waste and food insecurity. Share tables are designated areas where students can place unopened, unconsumed food items that other students can take throughout the day or that can be donated to food pantries. The resolution highlights alarming statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showing that approximately 21 percent of school lunch calories are discarded as waste, and 30 to 40 percent of the total U.S. food supply is wasted. In New Jersey specifically, nearly nine percent of residents and 10 percent of children under 18 are food insecure. By implementing share tables, schools can potentially reduce food waste, lower solid waste disposal costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions from food decomposition, and provide more food to local pantries while simultaneously teaching students about environmental and ethical consciousness. The resolution calls for the Senate Secretary to transmit copies of the resolution to the state's food insecurity advocate, Commissioner of Education, and State Board of Education to ensure widespread dissemination and potential implementation across public school districts.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/SR14