Eight major food businesses have pledged to work towards meeting or bettering the Commonwealth’s goal to halve food waste by 2030.
The voluntary Australian Food Pact was launched on 21 October, with Woolworths, Coles, Goodman Fielder, Simplot Australia, Mondelez Australia, and McCain Foods among the eight signatories.
Stop Food Waste Australia – of which the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is a member – will oversee the agreement’s policies and collaborations, supported by $4 million in federal government funding.
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the initiative marks the first engagement by major players in efforts to meet the objectives of the National Food Waste Strategy.
“With food waste costing the economy roughly $36 billion a year, we need collaboration between business and government without the threat of regulation,” she 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.”