MPs from all the main political parties have slammed the government for dithering on plans to introduce mandatory food waste reporting, amid opposition from farmers and the hospitality sector.
During a House of Commons debate yesterday, environment minister Robbie Moore said he could give no date for when proposals might be put forward, five months after the government sparked hopes of a backtrack over former Defra secretary Thérèse Coffey’s axing of the plans.
He was rounded on by MPs on the committee. Labour shadow minister Daniel Zeichner accused the government of kicking the can on food waste down the road by launching another consultation on the mandatory reporting plans, as revealed by The Grocer in February, rather than looking to bring them in immediately.
“The secretary of state was right to withdraw his predecessor’s consultation response last November, but, as we have heard, we still have no decision,” said Zeichner.
“Instead, the secretary of state told Wrap to run yet another consultation and said any decision could still be another six months away. Will the minister tell us today whether we are any nearer a mandatory scheme being introduced?”
Last month, dozens of supermarkets and suppliers wrote to the government urging them to revive the plans warning a lack of traceability was contributing to hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food waste and costing the economy more than £20bn a year.
However, Moore told MPs: “A previous secretary of state made the decision to go for a voluntary approach, and it is right that the new team are reviewing that decision, alongside various stakeholders.
“As I have said, we aim to make an announcement soon.”
Jo Gideon, Conservative MP for Stoke on Trent, who called for yesterday’s debate, said government delays were unacceptable.
“I support a regulatory approach to food waste reporting for large food businesses,” she said. “The longer it takes, the more food will be wasted.”
Campaign groups and industry sources fear the plans for mandatory reporting are effectively being shelved so they will have to be dealt with by a new government, which they say will add months more delays to a promise first made by Michael Gove in 2018.
Jamie Crummie, co-founder of food waste app Too Good To Go, said: “It was great to see so many MPs raising the importance of tackling food waste and the need for mandatory food waste reporting.
“The overwhelming support from businesses, including over 35 signatories in our joint letter with the BRC, underscores the urgency of this issue. We hope the government will take the decisive and sensible action of introducing this win-win policy sooner rather than later.”
FareShare CEO George Wright added: “With millions of tonnes of food going to waste while the charity sector struggles to support millions of families in need, this should be one of the main priorities of any food system and needs to be at the forefront of government and industry thinking.”
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