Make every bite count

Can reduced food waste sustain free school meals in South Carolina?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2026.154.010

Keywords:

Community Eligibility Provision, food waste, free or reduced-price lunch

Abstract

Recent federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could reduce children’s access to free school meals by affecting schools’ eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision program. In this study, we examine whether food waste reduction can be used as a strategy to sustain meal programs in South Carolina. Using direct weighing waste data and surveys, we assess potential cost savings, reinvestment opportunities, and meal quality improvements.

Author Biographies

Qi Jiang, Clemson University

Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Agricultural Sciences. Dr. Jiang is now in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee.

Alba J. Collart, Clemson University

Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Sciences

Felipe de Figueiredo Silva, Clemson University

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Sciences

Yefan Nian, Clemson University

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Sciences and Sandhill Research and Education Center

On our cover: A working group of residents of Nunavik, Canada, map their community food system using maps and Post-It notes to show sources of food

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Published

2026-08-24

How to Cite

Jiang, Q., Collart, A., de Figueiredo Silva, F., & Nian, Y. (2026). Make every bite count: Can reduced food waste sustain free school meals in South Carolina?. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 15(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2026.154.010

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 4 (2026): Fall 2026

Section

Open Call Paper

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Qi Jiang, Alba J. Collart, Felipe de Figueiredo Silva, Yefan Nian

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The copyright to all content published in JAFSCD belongs to the author(s). It is licensed as CC BY 4.0. This license determines how you may reprint, copy, distribute, or otherwise share JAFSCD content.