ADD2603 Pan-London sustainable food campaign

1.1.    An estimated 32 per cent 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 1 bn tons of food never get consumed each year, while one in nine people are undernourished. In addition, food loss and waste are responsible for an estimated 8 per cent 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 production and cultivation within the boundaries of London. Currently 99 per cent of London’s food is imported, with local production and farming accounting for less than 1 per cent of the capital’s food supply. 

1.3.    In total, 1,456,000 tonnes of food is lost or wasted in London each year, with 64 per cent (931,000 tonnes) coming from households. The majority of London’s food loss and waste is incinerated (57 per cent), while approximately 24 per cent is more productively managed through anaerobic digestion and composting. Approximately 8 per cent 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 London’s hospitality sector. The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a climate action NGO working globally to tackle the causes of the climate crisis, estimates that the equivalent of one in six meals served is thrown away, 75 per cent 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, when 13m people are considered to be at risk of poverty. According to Sustain’s report, ‘Beyond the Food Bank 2019’, almost 2m Londoners (of whom an estimated 400,000 are under 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.  There are many other providers of emergency food, so the total extent of Londoners’ need is far greater than that.

1.6.    The cost to London boroughs of reprocessing/disposing of food waste is estimated at around £50m per annum. The food and drink thrown away in London has an equivalent cost of £1.4bn per year to Londoners. Food waste is costly to the environment. The food waste London threw away in 2020 generated the equivalent of 2m tonnes of CO2e, much of which could have been avoided. 

1.7.    WRAP estimates that waste disposal costs the hospitality and food-service sector £10,000 per outlet.  Using GLA data, we estimate the total cost to the food service sector in London to be £278m (£276m for small and medium-sized enterprises).

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 of 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-based 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 that 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 the city, demonstrating the role London plays in helping to tackle the climate-change impact of our food system. 

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

1.11.    The Mayor has set targets to recycle 65 per cent of municipal waste, and to reduce food loss and waste by 50 per cent, by 2030. The Mayor is also a Champion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.”

1.12.    The Mayor’s London Environment Strategy requires that all London boroughs provide food waste collection services to all households where practical and/or cost-effective. New regulations under the Environment Act 2021, coming into force in 2022, will also require local authorities to provide food waste services. 

1.13.    ReLondon has extensive experience in delivering pan-London campaigns that support the Mayor’s targets, such as “One Bin is Rubbish”, encouraging householders to use separate receptacles for different waste streams; and “Shop Savvy”, providing useful tips to reduce the amount of waste Londoners generate.

1.14.    ReLondon has led on the delivery of two pan-London food-waste reduction campaigns over the past four years: TRiFOCAL, a campaign funded by the European Union and delivered in partnership with WRAP; and Food Wave, a pan-Europe campaign for which ReLondon is the London delivery partner. TRiFOCAL achieved a 9 per cent reduction in household food waste between 2017 and 2019 – equivalent to 80,000 tonnes avoided each year. The Food Wave campaign trials targeted behavioural change interventions among those aged 18-30. It is currently live; as such, results are not yet available. 

1.15.    One World Living has recently published its Climate Action Plan, which focuses on actions that London boroughs should implement to respond to the climate emergency. This includes a number of actions related to minimising food waste; maximising recycling and edible food redistribution; and encouraging healthy, sustainable diets as a way to reduce carbon emissions. A pan-London food campaign is listed as one of the interventions within the action plan. 

2.1.    The pan-London sustainable food campaign will empower Londoners to reduce their personal household food footprint. ReLondon, as recipients of the grant, will be leading on delivering the campaign. They will work with councils to produce an insights-research product, through engagement with Londoners, that will develop a suite of social media assets, out-of-home advertising, events and workshops; community projects; business collaborations; and university collaboration. ReLondon, London Councils and the boroughs will measure the environmental and social benefits and at critical points within the delivery phase to improve awareness, and the quality and impact of the campaign materials. ReLondon will use post-campaign surveying to extrapolate estimated food-waste reduction figures. 

2.2.    This work will help in achieving the London Environment Strategy target to reduce food waste per person by 20 per cent by 2025, and by 50 per cent by 2030. It will also help in achieving specific recovery missions (Green New Deal; Robust Safety Net; and Healthy Place, Healthy Weight) by helping to reduce carbon emission linked to waste; supporting families suffering from food poverty; and encouraging healthy, sustainable diet choices. Additionally, it will contribute to achieving the Mayor’s targets and objectives to reduce waste, and to transition to a low-carbon circular economy in London. 

2.3.    The following outcomes are expected as a result of funding the pan-London sustainable food campaign:

• a 5 per cent reduction in avoidable food waste per household per week, equivalent to 45,000 tonnes of food waste avoided each year
• food-related consumption-based emissions to be reduced by 774 tonnes per year
• an annual saving of £26 per household per year in food bills
• a unified multifaceted campaign, spanning multiple mediums, across 23-33 local authorities 
• cross-sectoral collaboration across 15-20 businesses from all areas of the supply chain. 

Budget

2.3.    This ADD is requesting £30,000 to support this campaign by providing grant-funding to ReLondon 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; and 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, sex, 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 have been the subject of public consultation. No other equalities issues have been identified regarding the nature of the proposals.

3.3.    As outlined in the London Recovery Programmes Robust Safety Net and  Healthy Food, Healthy Weight Missions; BAME Londoners and those living with disabilities are more likely to be living with food insecurity and therefore have issues accessing healthy, culturally appropriate food. This project supports groups suffering from food insecurity and so supports the GLAs Equality, Diversity and Inclusion goals. 

Key risks and issues

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

4.2.    Key risks, and mitigating measures, are outlined in the table below. 
 

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

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

4.4.    This project supports the objectives of the Mayor’s Green New Deal, tackling emissions and food waste through reduction of the latter. The cross-cutting benefits extend to supporting those impacted by societal inequalities within London; supporting healthy diets; and reducing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

4.5.    The service will also support the Mayor’s manifesto commitments to work with London’s food sector to reduce waste; enable the transition to a circular economy; and promote healthy, sustainable diets that are good for the planet.

5.1.    £30,000 is required to contribute to ReLondon’s sustainable food campaign which aims to equip Londoners with the knowledge to reduce their food Footprint.

5.2.    ReLondon will be carrying out the campaign in partnership with the GLA, London Councils and Local Boroughs thus funds will be dispensed to them in the form of a grant. 

5.3.    As a whole the total cost of this campaign will be £350,000 in which the Authority will fund £30,000. ReLondon will be in receipt of all grants, including those from the GLA and the local authorities. The balance will be sought as match funds from other entities. At present there is a £100,000 shortfall so in the event where this cannot be met the campaign will be scaled back to critical activities only. 

5.4.    The requested £30,000 will be funded by the 2021-22 Waste Reduction and Recycling budget which is held within the Environment and Energy Unit.