ADD2548 Food hub pilot with Hubbub and London Borough of Southwark

1.1 An estimated 32 percent of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted from farm to fork. This huge level of inefficiency has economic, social, and environmental impacts. Globally, it means that more than a billion tons of food never gets consumed each year while one in nine people remain undernourished. In addition, food loss and waste is responsible for an estimated eight percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions; if it were a country, food loss and waste would be the third largest emitter after China and the United States.

1.2 Approximately 6,347,000 tonnes of food are produced to supply London’s food system each year. This comes from two key sources: imports from outside the city; and from production and cultivation within the boundaries of London. 99% of London’s food is imported, with local production and farming accounting for less than 1% of the capital’s food supply.

1.3 A total 1,456,000 tonnes of food is lost or wasted in London each year, with 64% (931,000 tonnes) coming from households. The majority of London’s food loss and waste is incinerated (57%), while approximately 24% is more productively managed through anaerobic digestion and composting. Approximately 8% of food waste is still landfilled, which contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food loss and waste.

1.4 Around 300,000 tonnes of food waste is generated from the hospitality sector. WRAP estimate that the equivalent of one in six meals served is thrown away, 75% of which is avoidable and could have been eaten .

1.5 The food we throw away costs the average family £470 per year . This is at the same time as high levels of food insecurity in the UK, where 13 million people are considered to be at risk of poverty. According to ‘Beyond the Food Bank 2019’ almost two million Londoners, of whom an estimated 400,000 are children under the age of 16, struggle to afford or access a sufficient diet. The largest provider of food banks, the Trussell Trust, gave out food parcels for more than 165,000 people in London in 2018/19, up from 30,000 in 2017/18 - and there are many other providers of emergency food, so the extent of need is far greater than that.

1.6 The cost to London Boroughs of reprocessing/disposing of food waste is estimated at around £50million per annum. It costs consumers £1.4billion per year to purchase the food and drink thrown away in London. Food waste is costly to the environment. The food waste London threw away in 2020 generated the equivalent of 2 million tonnes of CO2e, much of which could have been avoided.

1.7 WRAP estimated that waste disposal costs the hospitality and food service sector alone £10,000 per outlet . Using GLA data, we estimate this costs the food service sector in London £278m (£276m for SMEs).

1.8 London’s consumption-based emissions embedded within the food and drink products consumed in the city is 3.5 times bigger than the territorial emissions occurring within the city boundaries. This equates to over 15ktCOeq per annum .

1.9 ReLondon recently conducted a material flow analysis food in London. The findings showed a series of hotspots and areas of opportunity across the food supply chain to reduce food loss and waste and consumption-base emissions (an action plan is soon to be developed for this report). The report shows that 6,347,000 tonnes of food are produced to supply London’s food system each year and 99 per cent of this is produced outside of London. Even before it reaches the city, 836,000 tonnes of imported food are lost, representing the second largest volume of food that is either lost or wasted across the supply chain. Additionally, the majority of the consumption-based emissions (78 per cent) from London’s food is produced outside of the city demonstrating the role London has in helping to tackle the climate change impact of our food system.

1.10 During 2020/21 Covid lockdowns, food hubs became an important role for communities. The London Food Alliance worked with redistribution charities and the GLA to set up 54 food hubs to help communities access food they needed.

1.11 The GLA developed nine recovery missions each focussing on key outcomes, cross cutting principles and engagement. This pilot project will meet objectives set out in the Green New Deal.

1.12 The GLA recognised surplus food distribution is not a solution for food insecurity – however, there is a need to ensure surplus that could be thrown away is put to better use, while measuring it’s environmental and social impacts.

1.13 Hubbub – a charity focussed on delivering innovative, practical projects which have a positive impact on the environment - ran a pilot in Milton Keynes to improve the redistribution of surplus food. The project was a great success. It created six new green jobs, zero emissions from using green electric cargo bikes to distribute food and run collection and shared the equivalent of 260,000 meals.

1.14 The Mayor has set a target of 65% recycling of municipal waste and a 50% reduction of food loss and waste by 2030. The Mayor is a Champion of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.

1.15 The new Environment Bill is expected to be introduced in early 2022 and will contain a polluter pays principle. This pilot business engagement sector will test how businesses can meet this new obligation through surplus food donation instead of sending food to create energy or disposal.

1.16 Surveying of potential locations through the Community Fridge Network (CFN) carried out by Hubbub identified The Albrighton Centre, based in Southwark, as the optimal candidate to participate in this pilot.

2.1. Hubbub’s Food Connect model will enable efficient, effective and agile surplus food collection and redistribution in Southwark. The pilot will measure the environmental and social benefits and work with businesses on an engagement, communications and training campaign to improve awareness and the quality and quantity of surplus redistribution. Furthermore, the pilot and evaluation will explore ways to make sure this model is financially sustainable and can be scaled across London. In doing so, this will work towards the London Environment Strategy, and recovery missions, and contribute to achieving the Mayor’s targets and objectives to reduce waste and transition to a low carbon circular economy in London. Funding this volunteer led food hub to become a Food Connect model will expect to achieve the following:

2.2. The expected outcomes are as follows :

I. 900 people per week supported

II. around 130t food shared creating more than 300,000 meals

III. 50% of food shared to be fruit, veg, wholegrains, pulses, nuts, seeds.

IV. Work with 2-3 different food retailers to pilot an employee engagement campaign on surplus food.

V. Six new green jobs created (based on Milton Keynes pilot but may differ between food hubs)

VI. 2 – 4 additional community hubs/fridge’s/kitchens to be supported

VII. Streamlined processes leading to measurable efficiency savings, freeing up volunteers’ time to focussed on other more socially focussed activities.

VIII. Transport emission savings of 1.5 tonnes within the first year.

IX. A model developed outlining new ways that redistribution hubs can address food surplus across the capital.

Budget

2.3. This ADD is requesting £30,000 to support this pilot by providing grant funding to Hubbub to deliver the project. The grant will be awarded in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. The cost breakdown is as follows:

3.1. Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, in considering whether to grant this approval “due regard” must be had to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics include age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation (and marriage or civil partnership status for the purpose of the duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination only).

3.2. This duty has been taken into account. The Mayor wishes to support the development of community food hubs in order for them to contribute to the waste and circular economy objectives of his London Environment Strategy (and London recovery missions), which has been the subject of public consultation. No other equalities issues have been identified having regard to the nature of the proposals.

4.1. There are no potential or perceived conflicts of interest with any person involved in the drafting or clearance of this form.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2. The London Environment Strategy contains strategies aimed at promoting waste reduction, in particular food and reducing the climate change impact of the food system and waste management while supporting the transition to a low carbon circular economy.

4.3. This project supports the objectives of the Mayor’s Green New Deal, creating new green jobs, tackling emissions and food waste through the redistribution of surplus food to those suffering from food poverty. The cross-cutting benefits extend to providing support to those impacted by societal inequalities within the borough.

5.1. The total cost of this pilot will be £75,000 in which the GLA will contribute the requested £30,000, alongside the London Borough of Southwark who will also contribute £35,000. The remaining £10,000 will come from Hubbub.

5.2. £30,000 is required to support a Food Connect Pilot which redistributes surplus food from local businesses and communities. This pilot will be delivered by Hubbub, a charity, therefore the funds will be dispensed as a grant to the entity.

5.3. The breakdown for the Authority’s contribution can be seen above in section 2 and will follow the below profile:

5.4. Given the timing pressures and to ensure the first tranche of milestones are met in time for the end of the financial year, Hubbub have mobilised resources to ensure delivery is completed on time. Hubbub will initially incur the expenditure and look to recover costs from the Authority based upon evidential receipts.

5.5. As this project supports two policy areas, Tackling the Climate Emergency and Waste & Circular Economy, the project will be funded by both policy areas. For 2021-22, the Climate Emergency budget will provide £20,000. For 2022-23, the Waste Programmes budget will provide £10,000.

6.1. As this grant concerns the award of relatively low value grant funding and does not appear to depart from the provisions of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code no need legal comments are required.