More than a billion pounds of food wasted before reaching supermarkets – study | Environment

According to a study highlighting the scale of the waste problem in the country, more than one billion pounds of food for British supermarkets are thrown away or given to animals before leaving their farm.

Crops rejected by retailers because they do not meet quality standards, fluctuations in demand, or storage or packaging problems all contribute to 3.6 million tonnes of primary production waste, or more than 10 times the volume thrown by retailers, according to a report from Wrap, the waste reduction agency.

The figure includes 2 million tonnes of edible surplus food that is not delivered to a retailer or other intended purchaser, but is diverted to feed livestock or distributed to charities. The rest is eliminated by being plowed into fields, composted or used to create energy.

Peter Maddox, director of Wrap, said the detailed study of the group backed by the government had helped identify the main sources of waste and help the industry solve the problem.

According to the most recent data, sugar beet is likely to be thrown in the trash, with 347 000 tonnes wasted each year. But poultry represents the largest value of food waste at £ 85m in 2017, according to the report.

"There is tremendous potential to reduce surpluses and waste by promoting best practices, and that's where our work is focused. We want to increase the redistribution of food surpluses, as has happened in the retail sector, "said Maddox.

He added that the organization has set up a network to connect farmers and small producers to identify new opportunities for food surpluses, including charities. Wrap also works with farmers and retailers to improve the guidelines on setting quality standards, which, according to farmers, are one of the main factors of waste.

Jack Ward, CEO of the British Growers Association, said understanding the scale of the waste problem that puts farmers' profits under pressure is a positive step forward. "As the sustainability of our food production systems is receiving increasing attention, reducing waste at all levels of the food supply chain will become a growing priority," she said. he declared.

Major supermarkets and manufacturers are committed to reducing the UK's annual £ 20 billion food waste bill by committing to halving farm waste at the fork of the day. 2030.

Last fall, Wrap and the food and grocery charity IGD set companies a series of milestones to reduce waste at every stage of the supply chain. The annual bill of waste represents more than £ 300 per citizen.