Love Food Champions launched
The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) has announced the launch of its Love Food Champions project as part of a campaign to reduce food waste.
These Champions will set up Love Food Groups around the country in support of WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Action Programme) ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ campaign, which aims to help reduce food waste. The Champions will work with people across England and Wales to share their experiences and suggest ways of reducing and preventing food waste. According to WRAP one shopping bag full of food gets thrown away for every three bought.
Through the Love Food Groups the NFWI wants food to be used more carefully. This will save both time and money, while also helping to reduce our impact on the environment. We also want to increase awareness of the issue so that we are all making the most of the food we buy.
“The WI is passionate about food, preventing waste and conserving our planet’s resources,” says Fay Mansell, Chair of the NFWI. “Our diverse membership which includes good cooks, mothers, grandmothers, professionals and university students ideally places us to express our love of food and share practical waste prevention tips.”
WRAP Project Manager, Julia Falcon, says: “We are so pleased to be supporting the WI on this initiative. It is really important to work together with local communities and to learn from them about what works best in their homes.
“It is sad that so much food is being wasted needlessly. At a cost of £8 billion a year, it’s a serious issue that not only impacts the environment but our pockets too.”
Each group will consist of about six to eight participants. They will meet once a month for about four months to discuss ways of reducing food waste, through proper food storage, portion sizing and measuring tips as well as handy hints for using up leftovers.
“Food waste costs us a lot of money and also contributes to climate change” says Fay Mansell. “The Love Food Groups will help make reducing food waste fun, easy and effective. Everyone who joins will be with others who also want to reduce their food waste. We’ll be sharing tips and experiences. I’m really looking forward to it. If anyone wants to join can they please email us at publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk, visit our website, www.theWI.org.uk, or phone 020
7371 9300 ext 234,” Fay Mansell added.
Reducing food waste is important to help reduce climate change. Production, transporting and storing food uses a lot of energy, water and packaging, which is wasted if thrown away uneaten. If food wastage was stopped it is estimated that it would save 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. This is equivalent to taking one in five cars off UK roads.
ENDS
For more information on the Love Food Groups, please contact Shirin Aguiar-Holloway at NFWI on 020 7371 9300 ext 208 or email s.aguiar-holloway@nfwi.org.uk
For information on WRAP and their involvement, please contact Susan Nisbet at WRAP on 01295 819928, or Sarah Bentley at Trimedia Harrison Cowley on 020 7025 7543.
Notes to editors:
1. The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK with 205,000 members in 6,800 WIs. The charity campaigns on issues that matter to women and their communities from children’s diet and human trafficking to healthy eating and the environment.
2. The ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ campaign has been created to raise awareness of the issue of food waste with consumers and provide information on what simple steps can be taken to combat the problem, which has a significant environmental impact.
3. Visit the WI website www.theWI.org.uk or the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com