Food waste experts slam government decision to axe mandatory reporting

Food waste experts have urged the government to follow the evidence and “urgently reconsider” its decision to ditch plans for mandatory reporting. 

Last week Defra shelved proposals, first mooted by Michael Gove in 2018, for all large food suppliers and retailers to be required to collect and report their food waste figures.

It said the plans would have risked putting up food prices just as they have started to come down, with estimates mandatory reporting would cost the industry at least £70m over the next 12 years, compared to just £12m for an alternative plan to boost the UK’s existing voluntary reporting system. 

However, Wrap, the organisation charged with leading the voluntary push, told The Grocer the value of food saved from going to waste from introducing mandatory reporting would easily dwarf the figure it cost the industry.

Wrap said its latest figures showed UK supermarkets who were measuring and reporting food waste had slashed food waste by 19,000 tonnes year on year in 2021 compared to 2018, equivalent to almost £62m of food saved from going to waste annually.

However, Wrap has said the failure to bring in mandatory reporting has led to a slow uptake of reporting, with the latest figures showing just a third of large companies were signed up.

In March Wrap and IGD were forced to relaunch their landmark Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, with new watered-down targets as a result.

“Our Food Waste Reduction Roadmap 2021 report showed that businesses who measure food waste then also act to reduce it,” said Catherine David, director of collaboration & change at Wrap.

“Making these simple steps of measurement and reporting mandatory would help ensure all businesses tackle food waste, including those who have not yet engaged in the voluntary programme.

“All our evidence shows that introducing mandatory food waste reporting for businesses will help the UK to meet its climate change ambitions, including halving food waste in line with the UN’s SDG 12.3 target.”

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Social impact company Too Good to Go said it was calling on Defra to “urgently reconsider their decision”.

“This decision comes as a significant blow to the country’s efforts in reducing food waste, especially during a cost of living crisis, and poses risks of exacerbating dangerous environmental challenges,” said co-founder Jamie Crummie.

“Neglecting food waste reduction has far-reaching global consequences, with food waste contributing 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing even the aviation industry’s impact.

“Defra’s decision feels particularly disheartening and regressive, especially when compared to the European Commission’s recent legislative proposal to introduce legally binding food waste reduction targets.

“The consultation response not only reflects a worrying lack of urgency on this crucial issue but also poses a dangerous threat to our collective ability to achieve the ambitious 2030 environmental and 2050 net zero goals.”

Tesco, which began reporting its food waste figures in 2013 and has repeatedly called for mandatory reporting to be brought in, said the policy was “critical”.

“Working in partnership with our suppliers, Tesco has significantly cut food waste,” said a spokeswoman. “This means more product gets to more customers at great prices. However, we need the globally recognised principle of Target, Measure, Act to identify food waste and drive it out of the system. Introducing mandatory food waste reporting remains a critical ask of policymakers to embed this change across the industry.”

Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investor engagement manager at The Food Foundation, said: “Increased transparency and a consistent set of metrics for food businesses to report back against is critical if we are to have any chance of hitting sustainability and health goals in the food sector.

“The government’s announcement that it is scrapping plans for mandatory reporting of food waste – despite widespread industry support – is yet another disappointment, hot on the heels of the news that the Food Data Transparency Partnership’s plans for health reporting will be voluntary only. We are running out of time to avert a climate crisis. The government needs to act and stop their over-reliance on voluntary reporting.”

A Defra spokesman said: “We remain committed to tackling food waste and our response to our recent consultation outlines that enhancing the voluntary approach to food waste reporting is the government preference at this time.

“A regulatory approach is not suitable in the current economic climate, especially when any additional costs may be passed on to consumers.”