The UK government announced last week it aims to treble the amount of surplus food available for redistribution across the UK as part of the National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food – and the news has been welcomed by industry bodies and NGOs.
With the target of tackling food waste and ensuring good food goes to those who need it rather than being thrown away, the National Programme to Redistribute Surplus Food is bringing together key stakeholders in food redistribution and food waste prevention.
IGD, FareShare, and The Felix Project are among the bodies involved in bringing this to life, with City Harvest, Community Shop, Feeding Britain, Neighbourly, and the Xcess Network all among multiple organisations backing the scheme.
Catherine David, CEO of NGO Wrap, said: “The prime minister’s announcement of a national programme to treble the redistribution of surplus food to people and communities across the UK is a vital step forward. #
“Redistribution has a critical role to play, supporting stretched households while reducing the enormous financial and environmental cost of good food going to waste. We must also recognise the huge opportunity to prevent food waste from happening in the first place, particularly in our homes. Home is where most of the UK’s food waste occurs, which can cost a family of four an average of £1,000 – and we know that over 70% of people are worried by rising food prices.”
David, who is approaching the one-year anniversary of her appointment as CEO, added: “At a time when households are under growing financial pressure, tackling household food waste is one of the most immediate ways we can help people save money, strengthen food security and build resilience for the future.
“Today, with supply chains straining under geopolitical disruption and the cost of living continuing to rise, we must treat food as the precious resource it is. We cannot afford, economically, environmentally or socially, for wasting food to remain the norm. Whether in the fields, factories, shops, restaurants or our own kitchens, reducing food waste must become a shared national effort.”
Suzanne McClelland, head of corporate comms & sustainability at IGD, noted: “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.”
She added: “Government, business, philanthropy, social enterprise and the charity sector each have a distinct and essential role to play.
“Tripling surplus food redistribution is not something any one organisation can deliver alone and today marks the first step towards achieving that ambitious target. One that will reduce waste, strengthen communities and demonstrate what a genuinely collaborative national effort can achieve. ”
Following the King’s Speech on 13 May, 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.”
Essentially, the initiative establishes food redistribution as a key pillar in the UK’s national approach to food systems change.
The Bread and Butter Thing, His Church, and Trussell are among the other organisations involved in bringing about this change and more structured attempts to triple food redistribution and avoid waste.
Lidl, Neighbourly, and Olio
Last week, grocery chain Lidl GB announced a new partnership involving Neighbourly and food-sharing app Olio – with the aim to redistribute even more food that would otherwise go to waste.
A trial, initially launching across 20 Lidl stores in London and Northern England, involves integrating Olio’s “food waste heroes” into Neighbourly’s social impact platform – combining the strengths of two leading players in food redistribution for the first time.
Managed by Neighbourly, the new model introduces Olio’s Food Waste Hero network as an extra layer to support the discount retailer’s primary charity partners. Using the free Olio app, registered food waste heroes collect items in the evenings, including chilled food, meat, fish, and poultry, and share them with neighbours nearby, entirely for free.
[image credit: Green Retail World]
