Over 13.6 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the UK.  At the same time, millions of people are struggling to afford to eat, and foodbank use has sadly risen during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite this terrible situation, the Government has decided to cut funding for the Resource Action Fund.  As FareShare notes, in Bolton South East alone, this fund resulted in an additional 14,776 meals worth of food being delivered to charities and community groups, providing a lifeline for vulnerable people.

In addition to this human impact, the cut also harms efforts to reduce the carbon footprint caused by food waste and the Government’s ability to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 on halving global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030.

I have written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, and asked him to reconsider the cut to the Resource Action Fund.  I have posted a copy of this letter below for you to see.

Furthermore, I am aware that Henry Dimbleby was commissioned to lead an independent review of the food system to develop recommendations to shape a National Food Strategy.  Part one was published in July 2020 and part two, which will focus on issues such as the climate crisis, biodiversity and the sustainable use of resources, is due later this year.  I will follow developments on this closely.