Unloved stock: a surprising lifeline for families and businesses alike
Steph McGinty, Managing Director at Company Shop Group, talks about how surplus food and drink stock is supporting the cost of living crisis.
Tackling food waste wherever it occurs across supply chains is a key priority for FDF members. Particular emphasis is placed on driving out inefficiency in supply chains to prevent waste and surpluses from occurring in the first place, in line with the food and drink waste hierarchy.
FDF members are committed to working collaboratively with their supply chain partners to meet the WRAP Courtauld 2030 and UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 food waste reduction targets, which is a 50% reduction by 2030 vs the UK 2007 baseline. This includes our support for important initiatives such as Step up to the Plate, the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, and the Your Business is Food Campaign.
The Scottish Government has set a target of reducing food waste by 33% against 2013 levels. They published a food waste reduction action plan in April 2019 which explains how food waste can be reduced.
Updates & milestones
Preventing and reducing food waste: Target, Measure, Act
FDF members deal with their food and drink surplus and waste using the food and drink waste hierarchy’s list of options, where 1 is the best and 8 is the worst.
Step one is to prevent and reduce food waste. In order to facilitate this and help the UK food industry achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, WRAP and IGD created the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap. Refreshed and updated in 2022, it is the result of an industry-wide programme of work consulting widely with businesses, trade bodies and others from agriculture, production and manufacture, retail and hospitality and food service.
Committing to the Roadmap and accessing its resources is free, and enables businesses to take a ‘Target, Measure, Act’ approach and thus reduce the environmental and financial impact of food waste.
Surplus food redistribution: 129 million meals redistributed in 2022
Where surplus arises in manufacturing, redistribution to humans is one way to prevent waste and forms step two of the food and drink waste hierarchy. By redistributing surplus, businesses reduce the environmental impact of potential waste and it also provides social and economic benefits. There are both commercial and charitable options for surplus.
By partnering with redistributors, surplus can go to community organisations that help support and feed people. Demand for organisation’s services have risen significantly over the past few years, and food insecurity is on the rise. Surplus that goes to charities has the benefits of going to people who are in need of food, and also these charities spend less on food and can therefore invest their money into providing other core services.
To find out more, WRAP have a resource hub with links to guidance and the various organisations that can accept surplus food fit for human consumption.
The latest WRAP statistics show that in 2022, food and drink manufacturers increased the amount of food and drink redistributed by 29%. 52,424 tonnes were redistributed which was the equivalent to 129 meals. For organisations who submitted yearly data between 2019 and 2022, surplus from manufacture has increased by nearly 18,000 tonnes (+69%).
As an industry, we are committed to increasing support for redistribution, which not only provides a vital lifeline to millions of vulnerable groups but also minimises food waste. The FDF sits on the WRAP Courtauld Surplus Food Redistribution Working Group, comprising of food redistributors, retailers and our members to identify ways of increasing the beneficial use of surplus products. FDF has partnered with food redistributors and members to create educational webinars and podcasts to increase the partnerships formed across industry with redistributors, links to which are further down the page.
News
What could circular economy mean for making food and drink?
Cat Hay, Head of Policy at Food and Drink Federation Scotland, talks about how we can all work together to make Scotland’s economy more circular.
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Past webinars
A wealth of content provided by both our Professional Affiliates and our dedicated in-house teams. From current legislative updates to the future of the industry, we’re certain there is something for all those working in food and drink today.
In case you missed it..
Webinar
Action on Food Waste: FareShare and Princes
Join the Food and Drink Federation for Food Waste Action Week, where Ashley Davies, Commercial Manager from FareShare and David McDiarmid, Corporate Relations Director at Princes Limited will demonstrate how FareShare helps food manufacturers to reduce their food waste.
Webinar
Action on Food Waste: Company Shop Group and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Watch the Food and Drink Federation for Food Waste Action Week, where Company Shop Group and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners will showcase how collaborating with Company Shop Group can help food manufacturers to reduce their food waste.
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Ambition 2025
Ambition 2025 sets out the FDF's vision for a thriving, responsible and sustainable UK food and drink industry.
Environmental sustainability
Our members have continued to significantly reduce carbon emissions and water consumption, as part of their commitment to reduce our environmental impact.