Prime minister Keir Starmer has announced a major new government commitment to triple the volume of surplus food made available for redistribution, as part of a national programme to tackle food waste and food poverty.
The strategy, developed following a summit between industry leaders, NGOs and government at 10 Downing Street in February, is billed as a landmark moment in the cost of living crisis. It brings together an unprecedented coalition of retailers, manufacturers and NGOs.
The Grocer understands that as well as planning to triple food surplus and build on the work of the King’s Coronation Food Project and its offshoot Alliance Food Sourcing, the strategy will launch a major new effort to revolutionise food waste and surplus data, including re-igniting plans for mandatory reporting.
It will also launch a major new campaign to educate consumers on food waste, with backing from the industry and NGOs.
The initiative met with excitement from charity bosses, who said the government had responded to their calls for an industry and govenment coalition to work with the charity sector to tackle food insecurity.
Following the King’s Speech yesterday, Starmer told Parliament: “Faced with challenges, we don’t retreat from our Labour values. Strength through fairness. So, we will keep supporting those who need it the most, including by creating a new national programme to redistribute surplus food.”
The new strategy has been co-authored by IGD and the newly merged FareShare and The Felix Project. It will see the food industry, charities and social enterprises working collectively, alongside philanthropists and the government.
Other organisations heavily involved include The Bread and Butter Thing, City Harvest, Community Shop, Feeding Britain, His Church, Neighbourly, Trussell and the Xcess Network.
The Grocer first revealed in February that the government was planning a new and “ambitious” food waste strategy amid growing anger over the huge levels of waste from households and the supply chain. Food industry and NGO leaders had held talks at Downing Street, with Starmer given a physical representation of the problem in the form of a pack of potatoes left in the Downing Street fridge by Wrap CEO Catherine David. The stunt was designed to illustrate the massive proportion of food that is discarded due to systemic issues in the food supply chain and lack of understanding among consumers.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition yesterday, Felix Project and FareShare CEO Charlotte Hill said: “This plan will mean that more food gets to people who need it the most.
“Built through the leadership and convening power of No 10, and inspired by His Majesty the King through the Coronation Food Project, the National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food will be delivered in partnership with government, business, philanthropic, voluntary, community and social enterprise leaders.
“The initiative establishes food redistribution as a key pillar in the UK’s national approach to food systems change. The breadth of organisations reflects the significance of the moment.
“The community organisations supplied by redistribution networks do far more than provide food. They are the places where older people find connection, where families access financial and housing advice, and where young people get a start.
“More food means more of that work is possible, and it frees up vital resources across the community sector to go further still. Scaled up, this is not just a solution to a waste problem. It is an investment in the social fabric of the country.
“With food inflation set to rise sharply and household budgets coming under further pressure, demand for support from the charity sector is expected to grow. The partners hope that funding committed through the National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food will reach communities in time to support those turning to community organisations for help.”
Vic Harper, CEO of Manchester-based The Bread and Butter Thing, said: “This is a significant step for the redistribution sector. The new national programme to redistribute surplus food puts food waste where it belongs, at the heart of how we think about growth, resource use and climate.
“For too long it has been a sector issue, rather than a cross-government priority.”
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