Labour backs plans for £15m fund to distribute surplus food from farms
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Grant will go towards repackaging food that would go to waste and delivering it to shelters, food banks and charities. 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.
