FARMERS, growers and retailers are being urged to stand shoulder to shoulder in the battle to reduce food waste between farm and fork.

Research published this week by the Waste and Resources Action Programme has highlighted the significant financial, environmental and efficiency benefits inherent in tackling food waste in primary production.

The first indication of the scale of waste has been measured for two key crops – strawberries and lettuce. It is estimated that just over 9% of mature strawberry crops ended up as waste in 2015, equivalent to 10,000 tonnes of product across the whole sector and valued at £24 million. The main causes for this were linked to product not meeting quality requirements, primarily as a result of fruit being misshapen or suffering from pest or disease-related damage.

For lettuce, WRAP found that around 19% of all lettuces were unharvested in 2015, with 38,000 tonnes lost across the sector worth an estimated £7million. Although weather related impacts will always be challenging, more accurate forecasting by both growers and their customers was cited as the main action to prevent lettuce crops going to waste, together with changes to specifications for head sizes.

WRAP has announced a series of sector-wide projects tackling food waste in primary production, with work focusing on priority crops including soft fruit, root vegetables and salad, addressing common issues that arise in production, and piloting models and interventions to overcome these difficulties. The intention is to develop guidance and best-practice case studies to help others take action.

NFU director of policy Andrew Clark, said: “Food waste is in no one's interest, least of all farmers. Improved forecasting, for example, would provide farmers and growers with an opportunity to plan ahead, secure land and pre-order seed.

“We welcomed a recent recommendation from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee that supermarkets should relax rules and look to ‘normalise’ foods that may have slightly different colours, shapes or sizes.

"Farmers and growers want to minimise waste as much as possible, and they work hard to tackle pests and disease by improving agronomy, harvesting and processing techniques. The whole industry needs to pull together to identify solutions right across the supply chain and do their bit to keep waste to a minimum.”

WRAP's head of sustainable food, David Moon, said: “Tackling food waste in primary production is a key area of our Courtauld 2025 commitment and it’s crucial that we have the facts to prioritise and direct action.

“We’re using our experience in mapping waste and bringing together key stakeholders to pinpoint where, why and how much waste arises on farm. This work will help the UK food supply chain become more efficient and competitive, which is crucial in the coming years."