There has been widespread coverage of the Government announcement that a new £15 million fund will help charities collect food waste from farms and distribute it to those who need it most.
The new scheme will see grants starting from £20,000 made available to the not-for-profit food redistribution sector in England. Throughout the year but especially over Christmas, the season of goodwill, this will help organisations like homeless shelters, food banks and charities fight hunger.
Outlets including the BBC, Press Association, Sky News, Guardian, Independent, Mirror, Politico, Farming UK, Yorkshire Post and Business Green reported on the fund, which will strengthen the links between farms and charities and help solve the problem of farm food waste.
The funding could go towards enabling successful applicants to buy new equipment, such as balers or hoppers, to allow bulky food items to be collected or processed into parcels, and technology to help donors and food redistribution charities work more closely. Money could also help provide more training to staff, to enhance their IT and food safety skills.
Information on when the fund opens and full eligibility criteria for applications will be confirmed in the New Year.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh 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."
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