Government offers £3m to tackle food waste during coronavirus crisis

Funds will benefit food organisations, which aim to cut food waste and redistribute up to 14,000 tonnes of surplus stock during the coronavirus pandemic

Food redistribution organisations across England will benefit from £3.25 million of government funding to help cut food waste and redistribute up to 14,000 tonnes of surplus stock during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says grants will be available to redistributors working hard to ensure valuable food supplies do not go to waste.

It will help redistribute food from restaurants as they close in response to the coronavirus pandemic and support volunteers to bring food to vulnerable communities.

All food redistribution businesses and charities will be encouraged to bid for grants over the coming month, including those whose volunteer programmes have been affected by social distancing measures or those that cannot access their usual commercial support network.

Rebecca Pow, Environment Minister, said: “I am proud of the many organisations across the UK working to ensure food and supplies are provided to those who need it most need during this challenging time.

“This funding will support people in need while ensuring that we minimise the amount of food which goes to waste – benefiting both society and the environment.”

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