Grants starting from £20,000 will be made available to the non-profit food redistribution sector in England as part of new £15 million government fund.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said the new grants will help British farmers deliver food to those that need it and reduce the costs they face when dealing with food waste.
The aim of the new funding is also to increase the capacity and capability of the redistribution sector to take on farm surplus, Defra said.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh commented: “Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on family tables across the country.
“Our new fund will help the charitable sector to work more closely with farmers, helping to find new opportunities to get their world-leading produce to those most in need within our communities.”
Our new fund will help the charitable sector to work more closely with farmers…
Information on when the fund opens and full eligibility criteria for applications is set to be confirmed soon.
Last year, the UK Government formed a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising of members from industry, academia, and civil society across the UK.
The Taskforce will lead on the development of a Circular Economy Strategy for England, which will be published in 2025 and outline how individual sectors can contribute to the circular transition.
The UK Government also reaffirmed its support for the Courtauld Commitment 2030, managed by environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) WRAP, which looks to deliver a more sustainable supply chain and reduce food waste in the home.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of global environmental NGO WRAP, said: “This is welcome support for farmers and redistribution organisations ensuring more quality food is rescued and can support more people and communities, while reducing the environmental impact of food waste on climate change.
“Every year, the amount of surplus food being redistributed is going up, but sadly the need is also increasing so this gives a much-needed boost.”
