As a member of your constituency, I am writing to you because I am concerned about the impact our food systems are having on the climate emergency. Latest figures show that a shocking 40% of all food grown is wasted. This uneaten food is a needless waste of a lot of things: water, resources, labour, time, land. But as well as being wasteful, it is also contributing to 8-10% of our greenhouse gas emissions, totalling at 4.4 million metric tonnes of Co2e per annum (FAO). Given that the current state of our climate assessed in the 2021 IPCC report has been described by the UN Chief as a ‘code red for humanity’, this is something we must address with urgency. I am really pleased to see our government has committed to ending our country’s contribution to climate change. But our window of opportunity to meet our target of net zero emissions by mid-century is rapidly closing. Project Drawdown named ‘reducing food waste’ to be the number one solution to climate change. To help meet our goals, I firmly believe that mitigating food waste is integral in our policy making. Will you commit to championing the below anti-food waste policies to ensure we have a safer and cleaner future? – Require mandatory reporting on food waste at every stage of the supply chain so we have accurate data on losses and can thereby address the cause of waste. – Educate people of the impact that food waste has on the environment. Over two-thirds of people in the UK are unaware of the clear link between food waste and greenhouse gas emissions (WRAP). – Requiring all edible food surplus to be offered first to humans, particularly those who cannot afford to feed themselves, and secondly to livestock as feed. – Compost inedible food waste, or use it to create energy, rather than sending to landfill. This is a pivotal moment for the government to act on its commitment, so I urge you to take every opportunity to draw upon the enormous potential food waste presents in curtailing the worst of climate impacts. I have faith that you will help your constituents by choosing to advocate to transform our food systems, to ensure a safer and greener planet for everyone. Yours sincerely,