The British government is creating a £15m fund aimed at helping charities, food banks, and homeless shelters make use of surplus farm food. The scheme, set to be launched in 2025, will provide grants of £20,000 or more to England’s not-for-profit food redistribution sector. The fund builds on a pledge made by previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to launch a food waste prevention fund.
An estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food are wasted or used for animal feed each year in the UK; the government hopes that by helping organisations to acquire new equipment, such as hoppers and balers, or by providing training and setting up new technology, this food can be redirected to those who need it most. Two heads of food redistribution charities have welcomed the scheme, with Charlotte Hill and Kris Gibbon-Walsh, chief executives of charities The Felix Project and FareShare, respectively, saying they were “thrilled”.
Labour’s Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh has backed the scheme, pointing out that during the festive period it is important to remember those in the community who may be going hungry. Echoing the government’s efforts to reduce waste, she said: “Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on family tables across the country.”
The fund addresses a growing issue of food waste and its associated environmental and ethical problems. By focusing on the redistribution of farm food surplus to those who need it, the scheme takes a positive step towards reducing food waste in the UK
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
