Charities will receive £15m in funding to save surplus farm food.

Charities, food banks and homeless shelters are to access a £15m fund from the Government to help them use up surplus farm food.

Launching in 2025, the scheme will provide grants of £20,000 or more to the not-for-profit food redistribution sector in England.

It continues the legacy of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s predecessor. Rishi Sink will start a food waste prevention fund..

The government estimates that about 330,000 tonnes of edible food is wasted or used for animal feed annually.

The scheme aims to help groups secure new equipment – such as hoppers and balers – or train staff and set up new technology to get food that would otherwise be wasted to people who need it all. Need more than

Labour’s Circular Economy Minister Mary Craig said: “As families gather to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, it’s important to remember those in our communities who are going hungry over the festive period.

“No one wants to see good food go to waste – especially the farmers who work so hard to put food on family tables across the country.”

The heads of two food redistribution charities said they were “thrilled” the fund had succeeded after years of campaigning and rapid work to maximize its impact during the British growing season. Willing to do.

Charlotte Hill and Chris Gibbon-Walsh, chief executives of charities The Felix Project and FairShare, said they were “delighted” to announce the fund. It was done after years of campaigning.