** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WE PROPOSE TO CONDUCT AND EVALUATE A CONSUMER PILOT CAMPAIGN THAT SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MESSAGES AND MATERIALS THAT MEANINGFULLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTED FOOD CREATED IN U.S. HOUSEHOLDS. WE WILL WORK WITH THREE U.S. CITIES TO IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE A PILOT HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE REDUCTION CAMPAIGN THAT BUILDS FROM MATERIALS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE USED IN FUTURE NATIONAL CONSUMER FOOD WASTE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.THE MAJOR GOALS OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO (1) IDENTIFY AND REFINE EDUCATIONAL MESSAGES AND MATERIALS APPROPRIATE FOR A HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE REDUCTION CAMPAIGN THAT CAN MEANINGFULLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTED FOOD CREATED AMONG U.S. HOUSEHOLDS; (2) CONDUCT AND ASSESS PILOT HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE REDUCTION CAMPAIGNS IN THREE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, (3) ANTICIPATE CHALLENGES A NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE REDUCTION CAMPAIGN WOULD ENCOUNTER DURING A NATIONAL ROLL OUT, (4) PROJECT THE FOOD WASTE REDUCTION POTENTIAL AND COST-BENEFIT RATIO OF DIFFERENT NATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR A HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE REDUCTION CAMPAIGN, AND (5) DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED EXTENSION EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED UPON CURRENT BEST PRACTICES AND REFINED BASED UPON THE CAMPAIGN PILOT STUDY FINDINGS TO PREPARE PERSONNEL IN CITY, REGIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE CONSUMER FOOD WASTE PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS.THE EVALUATION WILL USE TWO COMPLEMENTARY MEASUREMENT APPROACHES - ROUTE-LEVEL WASTE AUDITS AND HOUSEHOLD LEVEL SUVEYS - TO ENSURE A ROBUST AND VALID EVALUATION OF CAMPAIGN EFFECTS. MEASUREMENT WILL OCCUR IN BOTH TREATMENT AND A CAREFULLY SELECTED CONTROL GROUP WITHIN EACH CITY TO ENSURE VALID ESTIMATION OF CAMPAIGN EFFECTS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE GENERATION. THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION WILL INFORM PROJECTIONS OF FOOD WASTE REDUCTIONS FROM DIFFERENT NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN ROLL OUT STRATEGIES AND COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES OF DIFFERENT NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ROLL OUT STRATEGIES. THESE EFFORTS WILL ALSO IDENTIFY LIKELY ROLL OUT CHALLENGES THAT MAY FACE ANY REGIONAL OR NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING THAT COULD BE CRUCIAL TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF FUTURE LARGE-SCALE CAMPAIGNS.