Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, is backing her colleague Kerry McCarthy MP’s Food Waste (Reduction) Bill which will tackle the scandal of food waste, and is due to have its Second Reading in the Commons today (29th January).
The UK is throwing away 15 million of tonnes of food a year, and we have committed to the UN target of halving food waste by 2030.
However, while consumers have already reduced their food waste by over 20% since 2007, over half of all food waste occurs before people even have the chance to buy it. Suppliers and supermarkets therefore urgently need to take responsibility for reducing the huge amount of waste generated upstream, particularly on farms.
The Food Waste (Reduction) Bill sets out a clear path for reducing the huge amount of food wasted before it even reaches our shopping bags, and for increasing the amount of good surplus food that is donated to charities by:
- Ending the scandal of supermarket food waste by obliging supermarkets to donate unsold edible food – incorporating a recent French legislative proposal and Belgium law
- Requiring large supermarkets and food manufacturers to measure and report their food waste throughout the supply chain, including on farms, and to reduce this waste in line with the UN target
- Calling on the Government to undertake its own assessment of how it might further promote the redistribution of food and to instigate a scheme to establish incentives to implement and encourage observance of the food waste hierarchy
- Encouraging individuals, businesses and public bodies to reduce the amount of food we all waste – reflecting the responsibilities on us all to take action
Catherine said:
‘It is an absolute scandal that food is being wasted on such a huge scale, particularly when more than 1 million people used food banks last year and 1 billion people still go to bed hungry every night across the globe.
‘Cutting down on food waste would clearly have so many benefits – environmentally, economically and socially – and supermarkets must take more responsibility for the large quantities of food waste they cause in their supply chain. We also need to reverse the current situation which can make it cheaper for companies to dispose of good food than donate it to people in need.
‘That’s why I’ve repeatedly lobbied Ministers to add their backing to Kerry’s Bill, and I hope that it progresses through the Commons later today.’
Kerry McCarthy MP said:
‘We need urgent action to tackle the scandal of wasted food. The UK is throwing away 15 million tonnes of food a year. But while consumers have reduced their food waste by over 20% since 2007, over half of all food waste occurs before we even buy it.
‘Voluntary action by the industry is failing to deliver results so this legislation is essential. My Bill commits us to the UN goal of halving food waste by 2030, setting out a clear path for reducing food waste and ensuring perfectly good surplus food is donated to charities.’