The UK Government could deliver tens of millions of meals worth of food to help with the cost of living crisis, MPs have highlighted, as concerns continue to rise about the effects of increased food and energy prices.
Dundee West MP Chris Law joined 57 other MPs from across the House of Commons in writing to the Prime Minister, joining a campaign started by Fareshare, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity.
Fareshare estimate that 100 million meals worth of food currently goes to waste on farms and in fields that could directly contribute to communities and people that are struggling.
Food prices have continued to rise faster than anytime during the last 14 years, with the cost of some household staples such as tea and pasta surging ahead of inflation.
Estimates suggest that 13.7 million people across the UK are food insecure, a figure that has more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Recent figures show that 2.9 million tonnes of good to eat food goes to waste every year on our farms and in our factories.
Funding that previously supported surplus food redistribution has been axed, and calls to renew it have been rejected. Chris Law is supporting FareShare in calling for this funding to be reinstated.
The letter is part of FareShare’s Cost of Living Crisis Appeal, which asks the government to invest £25 million a year in surplus food redistribution, making it cost neutral for farmers to pick, package and transport their unsold surplus food to charity, rather than wasting it.
Chris Law, Dundee West MP, said:
“With inflation sky-high, I know that more and more people are struggling with food insecurity. No one wants to see good food go to waste, especially when it could make such a real difference in our local communities.
“Voluntary organisations like Fareshare do tremendous work locally to support those who are struggling, but with an increased level of demand they are starting to come under significant pressure.
“For a comparatively small amount of money, supporting food redistribution from farms would have a significant impact, with 100 million meals going to those who need it. Good food should be used to feed people rather than being wasted.”
Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, said:
“In Dundee West last year, FareShare redistributed the equivalent of 450800 meals via 42 local organisations. As a result of the cost of living crisis we have seen demand skyrocket, and we don’t have enough food to meet this demand. That’s why we launched the Cost of Living Crisis Appeal, so we can get more food to the communities that need it.
“As a charity we rely on the generosity of our partners in the food industry, fundraisers, and volunteers, but we also need the government to act immediately. At a time of so much need, it is wrong there is so much waste. I’m incredibly grateful to Chris in helping us raise this issue at the centre of government.”
If you would like to support FareShare, you can do so by clicking here: https://fareshare.org.uk/costoflivingcrisisappeal1/
Chris Law 