House of Lords EU Committee calls for action on food waste

The House of Lords European Union Committee has called for increased efforts to tackle food waste in Europe, saying that each year at least 90 million tonnes of food is wasted across the EU.

In its report, the committee said the 15 million tonnes of food wasted in the UK each year represents a loss of at least £5bn a year to business.

The committee found that attempts to reduce food waste across the EU are ‘fragmented and untargeted’, and is calling on the new European Commission, which will be appointed in November this year, to publish a five-year strategy to lower food waste within six months of taking charge.

The report also urges retailers to take steps in limiting food waste by both farmers and consumers.

Supermarkets should avoid offers such as ‘buy one get one free’ for certain types of produce, and they should do more to avoid cancelling orders for food that has already been grown, the committee noted.

The report also calls on the government to encourage retailers to redistribute unsold food, where safe, for human and animal consumption.

Sub-committee chairwoman Baroness Scott of Needham Market said that food waste in the EU and the UK is a huge issue, adding that not only is it morally repugnant, but it has serious economic and environmental implications.

Scott said, "Globally, consumers in industrialised nations waste up to 222 million tonnes of food a year, which is equivalent to nearly the entire level of net food production of sub-Saharan Africa […] There is also much that can be done domestically, and in particular by the big retailers, to reduce food waste […] The UK Government have a role to play in encouraging cooperation throughout the supply chain."

Scott added, "We were shocked at the extent of food waste in the EU. Especially given the current economic challenges the EU faces, it is an absolutely shocking waste of resources. Some efforts are already being made, which is very positive, but much more can be done, and so we are calling on the EU, the Government, businesses and consumers to make sure it is."