Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage retailers to reduce the amount of food waste they produce; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government is working with food manufacturers and retailers to meet targets to reduce food and packaging waste from the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment.

Signatories reported a reduction of 7.4% in supply chain waste between 2009 and 2012 under Courtauld 2. Interim results for Courtauld 3 show signatories reported a further 3.2% reduction by 2014 against the overall target of a 3% reduction by the end of 2015.

WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress and is expected to start in 2016.