Food retailers and manufactures have collaborated as part of a bid to halve Australia’s food waste.
Signing up to a new agreement with the Federal Government, these businesses are aiming to meet the ambitious target by 2030.
The Australian Food Pact consists of a voluntary agreement between retailers, manufacturers, growers and suppliers to achieve the goal. The pact is designed to make Australia’s food system more sustainable, resilient and circular.
The commitment also has the backing of major industry players, such as Woolworths Group, Coles, Goodman Fielder, Mars Australia, Simplot Australia, McCain and Mondelez Australia.
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the agreement will help to promote food waste reduction nationally.
“With food waste costing the economy roughly $36 billion a year, we need collaboration between business and government without the threat of regulation,” Ley said.
“Australian Food Pact creates that space for businesses to come together, to work through their food waste issues and to collaborate up and down the supply chain.”
Organisation Stop Food Waste Australia (SFWA) will drive the policies and collaboration between businesses that sign up to the Australian Food Pact. SFWA will be supported by $4 million of funding from the Federal Government.
SWFA was established in January 2021 and is a partnership including federal, state, and local governments, the food industry and food rescue charities.
Stop Food Waste Australia CEO Dr Steven Lapidge said Australian’s waste 7.6 million tonnes of food each year, equivalent to more than 300 kilograms of wasted food per person per year.
“We’ve been heartened by the response of the Australian food industry to joining the Australian Food Pact, which will see signatories tackle waste, improve profitability, respond to supply risks, provide innovative solutions, be more competitive, and provide quality products with lower environmental impacts,” he said.
The Australian Food Pact will be launched Thursday 21 October.
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