LONDON, England – Thousands of tonnes of food, including festive favourites like brussels sprouts and potatoes, that might otherwise go to waste will be delivered to those who need it most, thanks to a new £15 million government fund.
“An estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food is either wasted or repurposed as animal feed before leaving farm gates every year. While farmers would prefer for this to be destined for people’s plates, charities that redistribute food often lack the means to collect food from farms and get it to those who need it,” said, department for environment, food and rural affairs. “To strengthen the links between farms and charities and help solve the problem of farm food waste, a new scheme will see grants starting from £20,000 made available to the not-for-profit food redistribution sector in England. Throughout the year but especially over Christmas, the season of goodwill, this will help organisations like homeless shelters, food banks and charities fight hunger.”
It will help British farmers to deliver good food for those that need it and reduce the costs they face when dealing with waste, while also increasing the capacity and capability of the redistribution sector to take on farm surplus.
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh, said:
“With families gathering to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, it’s important to remember those in our communities who may be going hungry this festive period. Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on family tables across the country. Our new fund will help the charitable sector to work more closely with farmers, helping to find new opportunities to get their world-leading produce to those most in need within our communities.”
The funding could go towards enabling successful applicants to buy new equipment, such as balers or hoppers, to allow bulky food items to be collected or processed into parcels, and technology to help donors and food redistribution charities work more closely. Money could also help provide more training to staff, to enhance their IT and food safety skills.
Information on when the fund opens and full eligibility criteria for applications will be confirmed in the New Year, the government department said.
“As set out in the Plan for Change, the government is delivering growth and economic stability for communities across the country. We are supporting farmers to help grow the rural economy, while paving the way to a circular economy, where waste is reduced and growth is accelerated.”
To help end the throwaway society, the UK government has formed a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising of members from industry, academia, and civil society across the UK. They will lead on the development of a Circular Economy Strategy for England, which will be published next year outlining how individual sectors can contribute to ambitions in this area.
According to the department for environment, food and rural affairs, “this is alongside continued support for the Courtauld Commitment 2030, managed by environmental NGO WRAP, which looks to deliver a more sustainable supply chain and reduce food waste in the home – tackling food waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.”
