Every year, an estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food is either wasted or repurposed as animal feed before leaving farm gates. The Government believes this food should be going onto the nation’s plates, but charities often lack the resources to salvage it and provide it to the most vulnerable.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh commented: “Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on our nation’s tables.
“This fund will help charities work more closely with farmers to create new ways to get fresh produce to the people who need it most. I encourage our brilliant, dedicated redistribution charities and non-profits to apply for this funding to ensure more British fruit and veg gets to those who need it most.”
The new Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme will strengthen links between farms and charities to help solve the problem of food surplus on farms, with grants starting from £20,000 to help organisations fight hunger in communities.
In a joint statement, the chief executives of The Bread and Butter Thing, City Harvest, FareShare, The Felix Project and Co-Chairs of The Xcess Group said: “As leaders of the surplus food redistribution sector and following years of campaigning, we are delighted to welcome the launch of this fund ahead of British growing season.
“It presents an opportunity to make a profound impact by empowering local charities and community organisations. These groups are the backbone of British society, and we are proud to support them.
“By working across the charitable redistribution sector, we can help ensure that this scheme is implemented efficiently through our joint capacity, delivers tangible value to taxpayers, and helps millions of meals reach as many people as possible at a time of considerable need.”
The fund is open to food redistribution charities and any groups with an interest are encouraged to apply. Applications can be submitted online until 11:55am on 13th March 2025.