The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue is offering funding to initiatives that will help to tackle Ireland’s growing food waste problem in rural areas.
The minister outlined that Ireland generates over 1 million tonnes of food waste each year and stressed that this needs to change.
McConalogue said that research has shown that reducing this problem is “now recognised as the number one most effective solution for reversing global warming”.
“As we are all acutely aware post-COP26, time is not on our side in the global fight against climate change,” he added.
Ireland has committed to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 – in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, currently being developed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), is open for public consultation until March 24, 2022.
Food waste
Minister McConalogue has today (Thursday, February 10, 2022) issued a call for proposals for food waste reduction initiatives under the 2022 Rural Innovation and Development Fund.
In total, €180,000 will be made available to fund proposals for projects that would result in a reduction in such waste generated in rural areas by businesses, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and suppliers.
The maximum amount that will be paid to any project is €60,000 (excluding VAT) and the minister explained that funding will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Applications can be made to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) until 12 noon on April 8, 2022.
Along with addressing the problem at hand, McConalogue said that this funding would also align with the Rural Innovation and Development Fund’s overall objective of energising rural economies through job creation and sustainable enterprise development.
“Food waste is one of the great challenges of our generation. Tackled effectively, it can play a major role in our efforts to combat climate change,” the minister concluded.