For too long, the problem of food waste in the UK has been dealt with in a piecemeal way. The food sector is vast and complex, which has led to a situation where solutions created for one part of the system are sometimes contradicted or undermined by policies governing another. There is a need for these policies to be joined up, with a clear long-term strategy underpinning them.
The cost of living crisis has laid bare the urgent need to tackle the underlying drivers of food insecurity and poverty. While charitable food aid is providing vital support to those in crisis today, it must not be seen as a long-term solution.
If we are to tackle these problems in a sustainable way that creates lasting change, we need robust policies to support this effort, and a long-term strategy to guide it. Policies that cover the many different elements of the system need to be joined up – from the way land is used, to the way our supply chain works, through to our approach to food insecurity and the wider delivery of surplus food to local communities.
Many people in the sector are working hard to reduce food waste, support those in need and become more sustainable. The government must work with the sector to develop the holistic vision and long-term policies that will support them.