Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what organisations the Government Food Waste and Surplus Champion has met with; and if she will make a statement on policies to reduce food waste.

The UK Government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion, Ben Elliot, has met with a wide range of stakeholders since taking up the role at the end of 2018. From small and large businesses across the hospitality, food manufacturing and grocery retail sectors to surplus food redistribution charities. In May 2019, The Champion hosted a major symposium Step up to the plate where key players from the food sector, along with social media influencers and well-known chefs, joined forces to pledge ground-breaking action to reduce food waste.

The Resources and Waste Strategy Our waste our resources, a strategy for England published in 2018 sets out a range of policy actions to reduce food waste. This includes a £15 million food waste fund, a consultation on the mandatory annual reporting of food waste by businesses of an appropriate size as well as continued support of the cross sector collaboration through the Courtauld 2025 agreement.