https://bit.ly/2GgcukK

The UK currently wastes 10 million tonnes of food each year and this is expected to rise by a further 1.1 million by 2025 (Environment, Food and Rural Affair Committee 2017). 60% of this waste could be avoided. This waste of food has substantial economic, social and environmental repercussions. Despite this, 8.4 million Britons struggle to get regular meals on a daily basis(UNFAO 2018). WRAP estimate that the food industry alone wastes 1.9 million tonnes of food a year, 400,000 tonnes of which could be redistributed to those experiencing food poverty. Indeed, the value of wasted food in 2015 was estimated at £13 billion, which costs British families on average £470 annually (WRAP 2017). The environment also suffers significantly from the waste of food. UK food waste is associated with greenhouse gas emissions of over 20 million tonnes (WRAP 2017).

The UK Government’s approach to tackling this issue has been to support the efforts of individual organisations through funding, rather than regulatory approaches. Schemes such as the Courtauld2025 initiative and ‘LoveFoodHateWaste’ have been led by WRAP in an effort to reduce food waste. The Government has supported other local initiatives through a £500,000 Food Waste Reduction Fund. The Government has also taken steps to improve their food waste policy, with Environment Secretary Michael Gove announcing a £15 million pilot scheme to reduce waste, commencing in 2019/20. The Government also published its new Clean Growth Strategy, which targets banning food in all landfills by 2020. Devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland have also set specific targets to reduce food waste by 2025.

Read more via Public Policy Exchange…

Cost			See website for details
Time			10:15am – 4:30pm
Contact			020 3137 8630 info@publicpolicyexchange.co.uk