Food scarcity within those in need is a constant concern for some; the anxiety of where the next meal is going to come from, figuring out ways how to scrape up enough to feed young children and families and prioritising whether money would be better spent elsewhere.

Charities such as the Trussel trust bring food to those in need by providing food banks to those less fortunate. However, providing food for these charities can be made much easier without relying on donations.

It has recently been uncovered that 200,000 tonnes of branded food is sent to waste by being turned into animal food or to generate energy. This is due to manufacturers’ rules of handling their own-label products.

Mark Game, chief executive of the charity The Bread and Butter thing state that:

“Demand constantly outstrips supply and we are having to let people down, and if we had this food we could do more.”

This crisis has lead to some small changes to big brand supermarkets such as ASDA and Sainsbury’s:

• Sainsbury’s has a setup to allow its own label suppliers to pass on food directly without having to sign numerous agreements.
• ASDA has claimed “We are already adopting the broader elements of the Wrap guidelines and onboarding charities such as The Bread and Butter Thing and City Harvest and others so they can receive food direct from our suppliers as well as from our stores, depots and FareShare as they do already.”

To help with food scarcity and wastage, here are some links that lead to charities that will enable you to donate:

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https://www.breadandbutterthing.org