The “Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate” forms part of the government’s Plan for Change and will see surplus food from farms redistributed to fight food poverty in communities.
Charities currently set to receive funding include City Harvest, Food in Community and FareShare.
Waste minister Mary Creagh said: “This government’s Plan for Change is acting on food poverty and tackling Britain’s throwaway culture, ensuring more good food ends up on plates and not in bins.
“I am delighted to see this support go to 12 outstanding redistribution charities to form closer relationships with our hard-working farmers, and ensure their good food goes to those in need.”
Successful redistribution organisations who applied for funding through the grants include:
- City Harvest, a food charity which rescues surplus food and delivers it to more than 130,000 people a week, which will benefit from more than £303,000.
- A consortium bid led by FareShare UK and its network partners, including Felix Project, which will receive more than £9.2 million
- Food in Community, based in Devon, which have secured more than £1.5 million to partner with local farmers and food producers to redistribute surplus food.
Sarah Calcutt, CEO of City Harvest, said: “We grow a frankly amazing range of fruits and veg in this country, from berries to spuds and brassicas to salads; but the truth is, as any farmer will testify, that a significant percentage of the food we grow will go to waste; and the reasons for this waste are often around shape and size not meeting retailer specifications rather than anything to do with health or nutrition.
“This new funding will allow us to increase the amount of food we pick-up directly from farms, reduce farm costs and increase further the amount of fresh food we can offer our customers.”
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