Chef Tom Kerridge has teamed up with charities to demand £15 million in promised funding to divert fresh but unused food from farms to food banks and soup kitchens across the country.
Former ministers have made repeated promises to fund food waste reduction schemes. The scheme effectively compensates farmers for harvesting, storing and packaging food that would otherwise go to landfill or animal feed.
The pledge was first made by Michael Gove as Environment Secretary in 2018 and then re-announced by Rishi Sunak earlier this year, but the funding is yet to arrive. Mr Kerridge has now joined thousands of local charities who have signed an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, calling for the plan to be included in the Budget this week.
The Michelin-starred chef grew up on a council estate in Gloucester, cooking for his younger brother while his mother Jackie worked two jobs, but the program has helped reduce waste and He said much-needed food would be provided to people in distress.
“These charities are at the heart of their communities and need more food to support those in need,” he said. “Governments need to step in and ensure that the staggering amount of ready-to-eat surplus food is used to feed families in need, rather than wasted.”
Farmers are known to be keen to redistribute food wherever possible, but charities believe that providing goods for redistribution is a waste of money that could be thrown away or used as feed or fuel. They argue that the fund is needed to cover that cost because it is more expensive. In a letter to Mr Reeves, the charity said the food redirected through the scheme could provide up to 67 million meals and be redistributed to thousands of community groups.
FareShare, one of the largest food redistribution organizations, is heavily involved. We provide surplus food to after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, homeless shelters, and senior lunch clubs.
Chris Gibbon-Walsh, CEO of FareShare, said: “The food redistribution sector helps turn surplus food into stronger communities.” “These local charities turn food that would otherwise go to waste into meals and provide a gateway to other vital services that support people in need. This is a great opportunity to rescue a million tonnes of fresh food and help tackle the environmental problem of food waste for social good.”
“Despite the February announcement, this fund remains in limbo as we wait for the Treasury to commit to this funding. Organizations cannot afford to wait. The Prime Minister has said he wants to build a “society of service” and Defra wants to prioritize a zero waste economy, and this fund is a great first step. . We are ready to work with governments, along with the food redistribution sector, to make these ambitions a reality. ”
Charlotte Hill, who runs multibank Felix Project in London, said it was a “scandal” that Britain’s fresh produce was going to waste, even though so many households were struggling with food insecurity. Ta. “The Felix Project recently found that 56% of working families in London have to rely on food banks to feed their children,” she said. “
These regions are struggling with huge demands for aid and urgently need more food. This funding has the potential to provide large quantities of healthy and nutritious agricultural products. That could potentially deliver millions of meals to people in need. ”
Government officials say ministers are committed to reducing waste and working to reduce surplus food. The government wants to halve food waste by 2030, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) needs to play a role in plugging this year’s £22bn financial black hole, saying: “It’s difficult,” he warns. A decision was waiting for me first.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: We work with businesses to reduce food waste and ensure food reaches the tables of those most in need. This includes redistributing surplus food to charities and other users and supporting programs that help the public reduce food waste. We appreciate the efforts of food producers, charities and retailers to tackle this issue. ”
