Michael Gove urges top chefs and social media stars to ‘step up to the plate’ and help cut food waste
2 min read
Michael Gove has called on top players from the food industry to "step up to the plate" and reduce the amount of food wasted in the UK.
The Environment Secretary was the first to sign up to an ambitious new pledge to help halve the amount needlessly thrown out each year.
Mr Gove said it was a “moral, economic and environmental scandal” that 100,000 tonnes of food is wasted each year, as he vowed to use shopping lists and meal plans to reduce the amount of excess food he was buying.
Nearly 300 key players from the food industry, including top chefs, social media stars and supermarket chains, have been asked to sign up to the pledge ahead of a symposium on food waste being held by Mr Gove in London next week.
The initiative, developed by the government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot, calls on signatories to set their own food waste reduction targets as well as to use their public profile to “inspire” the public to change their habits.
Mr Gove said: “Together, we must end the moral, economic and environmental scandal of food waste. The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge so we can bring about real change.
“Every year, around 100,000 tonnes of readily available and perfectly edible food goes uneaten. It’s time to join together and ‘Step up to the Plate’ to stop food going to waste.”
Ministers hope the initiative will help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste by 2030.
Mr Elliot said: “Wasting food is an environmental, moral and financial scandal.
“We intend for the symposium and pledge to spark action, not just conversation, and inspire us all to champion change.”
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