United Kingdom: British parliamentarians call on the government to tackle the problem of food waste

Two million tons of fresh food unsold is wasted each year in the UK. Funding ended to help farmers and food producers bring in unsold items for charities. If the funding is extended, it could create an additional 53 million meals for vulnerable families. Without new funding, food will be wasted needlessly: used to produce biogas, sent to landfills or simply plowed into fields.

The Message Presented by 50 parliamentarians, it is part of the #FoodOnPlates campaign, which is run by fare shareThe UK’s largest food redistribution charity. The government is being asked to commit to funding interventions against food waste, which is vital in light of next week’s comprehensive spending review.

FareShare is asking the government to extend its annual £5 million funding, which helps farmers and food producers cover the costs of bringing surplus food to businesses and charities. This will help the UK achieve a reduction of 124,378 tonnes of carbon.

At the head of the initiative, the chair of the Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Neil Parrish, a member of parliament, who said the food that FareShare provides to organizations across the country, is the basis of salvation for many families. He also added that it was sad to know how much good and healthy food, sourced from farmers and producers, is wasted in the UK, when it could be used by an already existing network of nearly 11,000 charities.

Parish also emphasized that food redistribution is an elegant solution to the problem of food waste, benefits both the planet and our local communities, and ensures that rural farmers like him can do the right thing to also benefit the environment.