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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle food waste; and what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to help ensure food is available to people most affected by the cost of living crisis.

HM Government is investing £2.6 million this year to combat food waste. That includes funding the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) and through them we work to address food waste in households and supply chains.

We support the Courtauld 2030 Commitment, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste, which includes a target of a 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 against a 2007 baseline. Action through Courtauld includes working with businesses to measure and reduce food waste through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and the key tool to Target Measure and Act on waste. We recently consulted on options to improve reporting of food waste volumes by large food businesses in England. By increasing the number of businesses measuring and publicly reporting their food waste, we expect to drive action to reduce it.

Improved food waste reporting by large food businesses in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Courtauld signatories also play a key role in providing consumers with support in reducing food waste at home for instance through offering storage advice and appropriate labelling.

https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/food-drink/initiatives/courtauld-commitment

HM Government also funds WRAP's citizen campaigns such as Food Waste Action Week and Love Food Hate Waste, which aim to raise public awareness of food waste and the ways in which citizens can reduce it. This includes advice on how to shop for, store and cook foods in ways that minimise waste.

https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Since 2018, around £13 million has been awarded to over 250 redistribution organisations across the country to bolster the capability and capacity of the redistribution sector. This funding has provided important infrastructure such as additional warehousing, vehicles, fridges and freezers to help the sector get more discounted food to charities and food banks.

Defra officials continue to work with other relevant Departments on food policy and food insecurity, including on school meals (DfE) and the welfare system (DWP).

We recognise that people are facing pressures with the increasing cost of living and that some people continue to require extra support.

HM Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty and supporting people on lower incomes. In addition to the Energy support announced by HM Government on 8 September, we have committed £37 billion to tackle the increased cost of living this year. This includes an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, including food, bringing total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England this will take the form of an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421 million, running from 1 ^st October 2022 to 31 ^st March 2023. Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

My Department is taking action to maintain an efficient food supply chain by mitigating against any potential burdens or friction which could otherwise drive-up consumer food prices. In addition, we continue to use regular engagement to work with retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food.