Tackling Food Waste: Promoting Good Food Management Behaviour, Cross-Sector Collaboration...

Tackling Food Waste:

Promoting Good Food Management Behaviour, Cross-Sector Collaboration, and Responsibility at National and Local Levels

According to the most recent report by the charity, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the UK produced around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in 2018. While 70% of this came from households; manufactures, hospitality and retail sectors also contributed significantly. WRAP estimated that this waste had a value of over £19 billion a year and would be associated with more than 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It has said that of this waste, 6.4 million tonnes could have been eaten—the equivalent of over 15 billion meals, and at a time that coincides with the rise of food poverty.

The government’s effort to improve collaboration between sectors has been particularly supported by a joint initiative between by WRAP and the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD). The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap consists of a series of milestones for retailers, food producers, manufacturers and hospitality and food service companies to meet in order to tackle food waste in the UK. According to a progress report published in 2020, 261 organisations have committed to the roadmap, including 16 retailers, 162 producers/manufacturers and 35 hospitality and food service businesses. In 2019, 45 businesses reported a total waste reduction of 17% (180,000 tonnes), equivalent to £300 million.

This timely symposium therefore offers food waste organisations, local authorities, retailers and many other key stakeholders the opportunity to discuss current approaches to reducing food waste, how these efforts can be improved in future, and discuss how positive changes in food management behaviours can be maintained post-pandemic.

For full details and to register, click here.