Redistribute Food to Tackle Food Poverty - Pringle

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st May 2009

Mike Pringle MSP has called on the Scottish Government, supermarkets and businesses to back Cyrenians FareShare's campaign to redistribute excess food to the homeless and disadvantaged to help fight food poverty and poverty based malnutrition in Scotland. His comments came following a visit to Cyrenians Fareshare's Edinburgh and Lothian's distribution centre.

It is estimated that every year Scotland throws away around £800 million of food, the majority of which ends up in landfill. FareShare are appealing to supermarkets and other businesses who have excess food which is still in date to contact them to help those in food poverty, and the environment.

Mike Pringle said

"Thousands of people across Scotland live in food poverty, and the problems have only been exacerbated further by the economic downturn.

"Cyrenians FareShare are doing an incredible job in tackling food poverty head on by redistributing good food that would otherwise have ended up in landfill. I'm calling on the Scottish Government to back Cyrenians FareShare's campaign to help those in food poverty through this recession and beyond."

Carol-Anne Alcorn, Programme Manager of Cyrenians FareShare Edinburgh and Lothian said

"Last year food that FareShare redistributed contributed to over 4.5 million meals across the UK. Redistributing food is a win win solution for the disadvantaged and the environment; it not only helps the needy but reduces the volume of waste going to landfill and helps businesses reduce CO2 emissions.

"Good food should not be wasted but redistributed to those who need it most."