New £15m fund set to combat farm food waste

A new £15m government fund will help tackle food waste from UK farms by enabling charities to redistribute surplus food to those in need.

The initiative, which is particularly important over the Christmas period, aims to connect farmers with charities that can provide food to communities fighting hunger.

Each year, an estimated 330,000t of edible food is wasted or repurposed as animal feed before it leaves the farm gate.

While farmers are committed to feeding people, charities often lack the resources to collect food directly from farms.

See also: Food valued at £1.8bn wasted on UK farms each year, WWF says

This new scheme, with grants starting at £20,000, will help not-for-profit food redistribution organisations strengthen their capacity to collect and distribute surplus food, ensuring that more of it reaches those in need.

Circular economy minister Mary Creagh stressed the importance of this initiative, especially during the festive season.

“Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on family tables across the country,” she said.

The new fund will support charities, including homeless shelters and food banks, and help them reduce the costs associated with food waste.

It will also enable farmers to better manage surplus food, reduce waste, and boost their collaboration with food charities.

Industry approval

Charlotte Hill, chief executive of The Felix Project, and Kris Gibbon-Walsh, chief executive of FareShare, praised the fund, calling it a positive step toward reducing food waste.

In a joint statement, both said they “look forward to acting quickly with the government, the charity sector, and farmers to maximise the impact of this initiative”.

Harriet Lamb, chief executive of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), welcomed the new support, noting that it would help redistribute more quality food, reduce environmental impacts, and ensure long-term solutions for food insecurity.