Food waste is a massive issue in the UK – with so many people struggling to put food on the table, it doesn’t make any sense that we waste millions of tonnes of good food each year.

FareShare invited me to meet with them to discuss how they redistribute otherwise wasted food from supermarkets to those who need it the most.

We don’t redistribute as much food as we ought to, in part because of the rules in place. For instance, FareShare is campaigning for supermarkets to receive the same tax breaks for food donations as would apply to their financial donations to charities. This would be a modest change with a big impact.

Supermarkets may also be reluctant to donate food because of concerns that they may be liable for incidents relating to food poisoning or allergies. However, the UK already has Good-Samaritan-style laws that protect supermarkets which choose to donate. I fully support FareShare’s goal of raising awareness about this so that more businesses have the confidence to donate their excess food.

I am speaking to my colleagues in government about these measures, and working to give more people, whatever their circumstances, access to a nutritious and healthy diet.