First announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the NFU’s Conference last year, the fund was paused following the general election but will now be made available for charities to apply for with more details on when the grant opens and eligibility criteria due to be published soon.
The fund aims to help food banks and redistribution charities scale up their operations, ensuring that surplus food reaches communities in need.
Eligible charities and not-for-profit organisations in England will be able to apply for grants starting at £20,000, which will enable them to invest in the infrastructure needed to collect and redistribute surplus produce from farms.
Farmers partner with charities
Farmers face a range of challenges, such as strict retailer specifications, extreme weather conditions, and demand mismatches, all of which can sometimes result in food waste or surplus.
Despite these challenges, farmers are already working hard to manage surplus produce, often by partnering with food redistribution charities.
Others find ways to repurpose waste, such as using it for animal feed or generating energy through anaerobic digestion.
While farmers can't apply directly for the fund, they can benefit by partnering with these charities to redirect surplus produce to those in need, fostering stronger relationships between farmers and redistribution organisations.
In a joint statement, Charlotte Hill, CEO of The Felix Project, and Kris Gibbon-Walsh, CEO of FareShare, said they were “thrilled to see this fund come to fruition”.
“We look forward to acting quickly with the government, the charity sector, and farmers to maximise the impact of this initiative during British growing season, ensuring surplus food reaches as many people as possible,” they added.
What is the NFU doing?
While the fund is a positive development, the NFU will continue to advocate for systemic changes that address the root causes of food waste.
This includes pushing for more flexibility in retailer specifications, improved demand forecasting, and other measures to ensure fairness in the supply chain and reduce waste at the farm level.
As we move into 2025, the NFU will continue engaging with Defra and other stakeholders to ensure that the funding delivers meaningful support for food redistribution and promotes sustainable solutions for managing surplus food on farms.
If you have any questions or need guidance on managing surplus food on your farm, please get in touch.
Food waste charities – get in touch with the NFU
Are you a UK-based food waste or redistribution charity working with British farmers? Then we want to hear from you. If you're interested in working with the NFU, please fill out our expression of interest form below and the NFU's food business unit and environment teams will be in touch.
