The UK government is to urge supermarkets to end ‘three for two’ grocery deals that encourage bulk buying in a bid to curb soaring food prices.
With British shoppers throwing away an estimated £10m (€12.5m) worth of food – amounting to 6.7m tonnes – every year, the country’s government is expected to call for a moratorium on deals that tempt consumers into buying more produce than they need.
The figures were revealed today (7 July) in a report, commissioned by the UK government, which also found that up to 40 per cent of food harvested in the developed world can be lost due to problems with storage.
The food policy paper also called for the UK to work with other European countries to promote the role of agriculture in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Announcing the findings of the report, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK should not deal with rising food prices in isolation, but must play a leading role in combating instability in commodity markets and building a more resilient supply chain.
'Recent food price increases are a powerful reminder that access to ever more affordable food cannot be taken for granted, and it is the family finances of the poorest in our society that are hit hardest when food prices rise,' he said.
No comments yet