Retailers throw out $47 billion of food each year. To change this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a grant to Professor Tim Richards to research innovative solutions to make our food system more efficient.

In this article on Fast Company Aug. 16, 2019:

My colleagues and I recently received a grant from the USDA to develop machine learning algorithms that will help retailers optimize their purchasing decisions to better match demand-flow. These tools can help retailers develop pricing and promotion strategies and inventory management practices that reduce food waste and save money.