A new report by WWF called ‘Hidden Waste: The Scale and Impact of Food Waste in Primary Production’ shows the extent of food waste in primary production in the UK (which means where food is grown and harvested like on farms and in fisheries). It follows their report from June 2021 in which they assessContinue reading “Hidden waste on farms in the UK: new report by WWF and Tesco”
Tag Archives: farms
National Food Strategy: tackling food waste is low-hanging fruit
Four years ago, Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of Leon, was asked by the government to carry out a review of the food system, particularly looking at the accessibility of healthy food and the impact of the food system on the environment. Two weeks ago, the government finally responded to the review in a policy paper.Continue reading “National Food Strategy: tackling food waste is low-hanging fruit”
Why might 120,000 pigs have to be wasted in the UK?
“This will haunt people for the rest of their lives.” Kate Moore, pig farmer in East Yorkshire Farmers in the UK are facing the prospect of slaughtering 120,000 healthy pigs because there are not enough workers in abattoirs (slaughterhouses) due to a Brexit-induced labour shortage. Around 80% of skilled butchers in the UK are fromContinue reading “Why might 120,000 pigs have to be wasted in the UK?”
WWF’s report on farm-level food waste
In July 2021, WWF published their report ‘Driven to Waste: The Global Impact of Food Loss and Waste on Farms‘. It added to the efforts of UNEP and the FAO to quantify how much food waste is made through supply chains, and help find solutions for Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. However, the definition of foodContinue reading “WWF’s report on farm-level food waste”
Best before, no more
Best before dates belong in the bin. “Best before” means that the food is at its prime before this date, but is still totally safe to eat afterwards. However, many people take this as a cue to throw it away. The “use by” dates are the ones that you need to take notice of. ButContinue reading “Best before, no more”
Secret supermarket food waste
I was staggered when I read that supermarkets are making millions of pounds a year off food waste that we, their consumers, produce. Then I reread it – it is actually BILLIONS. At the top of the food chain, Tesco makes a £4bn profit each year from the food wasted in homes. Moreover, food businessesContinue reading “Secret supermarket food waste”
Holes and goals: The UK’s curious food waste targets
Do we have the right food waste targets? Why does it matter? In my previous blog ‘What is food waste?’ I explored how food waste is defined, who comes up with the definitions, and what impact this could have on policy. Since then, I have read Feedback’s (strangely named) report “When there’s no waste, there’sContinue reading “Holes and goals: The UK’s curious food waste targets”
FOOD WASTE STORIES 