The Food and Drink Wales Industry Board has today [15 March] welcomed the publication of the new Courtauld Commitment 2025. The pioneering agreement, which brings together organisations from across the food system, is appealing for the first time to make food and drink production and consumption more viable for the future. The commitment sets ambitious targets to reduce the resource intensity of the UK’s food & drink by one-fifth, saving £20 billion, by 2025.
Appealing to food and drink businesses across the nation the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board has called on the industry here in Wales to lead the way on these commitments, including tackling food and drink waste, greenhouse gas emissions and water intensity.
The Board is the voice of the industry in Wales, providing direction, encouraging networking and sharing vital information. Andy Richardson, the Chair of the Board commenting on the new agreement said:
“Sustainable business practice is vitally important to the work of the Board. The reduction of waste and mitigating the impact of the food & drink industry on our natural capital are important to the long term future of the industry and it is for this reason that the Board has today signed the Courtauld commitment which gives us a framework for collaboration towards achieving this goal.
The purpose of the Food & Drink Wales Industry Board is to grow, promote and enhance the reputation of the Welsh food and drink industry to deliver the ‘Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014-2020’.”
The Welsh Food and Drink action plan targets 30% growth in the industry by the year 2020 which the Board will work towards achieving through:
- Working in partnership with Industry and Government to develop markets, promote growth and safeguard our natural resources;
- Developing a skilled workforce and an innovative industry with cutting edge products and processes;
- Working within the spirit of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015;
- Being an effective and useful part of Industry and Government;
- Improving perception of Welsh food and drink.
The UK’s resource efficiency charity WRAP, on behalf of the UK Government and Devolved Administrations, unveiled the commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our food and drink, from farm to fork and beyond. Signatories announced at the launch of the agreement include all major UK retailers, representing over 93% of the 2016 UK market share.