Labour backs plans for £15m fund to distribute surplus food from farms

Labour ministers have backed plans for a £15m fund to redistribute food from farms that otherwise go to waste, particularly around Christmas.

Grants starting from £20,000 will be handed to the not-for-profit food redistribution sector in England to repackage farm food and deliver it to homeless shelters, food banks and charities.

The pledge was first made by Michael Gove in 2018 and again by Rishi Sunak in 2024, but was never set up despite years of campaigning by charities.

In an open letter this autumn, hundreds of charities and chef Tom Kerridge called on the Labour government to revive the plan and commit the funds in its budget.

About 330,000 tonnes of edible food are thrown away by farms or fed to animals each year. Charities say they often lack the means to collect and deliver food, including festive favourites such as brussels sprouts and potatoes, to those in need.

Under the government scheme, food distribution charities in England will be able to apply for grants starting from £20,000. They can use the funds to buy equipment to collect and process bulky food items, technology to help farms and charities work together and IT training for staff.

Mary Creagh, minister for the circular economy, said: “With families gathering to celebrate Christmas and the new year, it’s important to remember those in our communities who may be going hungry this festive period.

“Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on family tables across the country. Our new fund will help the charitable sector to work more closely with farmers, helping to find new opportunities to get their world-leading produce to those most in need within our communities.”

In a joint statement the chief executive of two food redistribution charities, Charlotte Hill of the Felix Project, and Kris Gibbon-Walsh of FareShare, said: “After years of campaigning by food redistribution charities, we are thrilled to see this fund come to fruition. We are pleased that the government has recognised that too much food goes to waste on our farms, and that it should be redistributed to feed people who need it.”

Harriet Lamb, chief executive of the global environmental NGO Wrap, said the announcement “gives a flying start to the new year, ensuring that food charities and the farming sector can both make a difference immediately and can develop long-term solutions. Every year, the amount of surplus food being redistributed is going up, but sadly the need is also increasing.”

More information about the fund and its eligibility criteria will be announced in the new year. The government has formed a “circular economy taskforce” that will publish a strategy next year on how different sectors in England can reduce waste. The government wants to halve food waste by 2030.