2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit

Chellie Pingree became an organic farmer on the small island of North Haven, Maine in the 1970s. After graduating from College of the Atlantic with a degree in human ecology, Chellie sold produce to summer residents and raised sheep for wool, eventually starting a mail-order knitting company that employed ten people in the community.

In Congress, Chellie relies on her experience as a certified organic farmer to support the diverse range of American agriculture, including sustainable, organic, and small to mid-sized farmers. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, she has been a vocal advocate for food policy reform. Her Local Farms Food and Jobs Act was partially incorporated into the 2014 Farm Bill, including programs to support farmers markets, local food producers and help SNAP recipients take better advantage of fresh food at farmers markets. And because of her leadership, the 2018 Farm Bill established a food loss and waste liaison at the United States Department of Agriculture, more than doubled funding for organic research, created the first federal produce prescription program, and established the first federal local food program with permanent funding.

Chellie has pioneered legislation to reduce food waste across the American food system and is the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus alongside Rep. Dan Newhouse. She authored the Agriculture Resilience Act, a comprehensive bill that recognizes farmers as an integral part of the climate solution.