Simplot Australia was reportedly the first company in line to join forces with other major Australian food produces in a new collaborative effort to tackle the nation’s $36.6 billion food waste challenge. The Australian Food Pact, a voluntary agreement, was unveiled on October 21 during a virtual event led by Federal Minister for the Environment Susan Ley.
Spearheaded by Stop Food Waste Australia (SFWA), the agreement represents one of the biggest, most tangible demonstrations so far in helping achieve the goal of halving food waste by 2030, according to Dr. Steven Lapidge, the organization’s chief executive officer.
”The Australian Food Pact is a significant step forward to reduce food waste and an acknowledgment that no one can solve this problem on their own,” said Simplot Australia Managing Director Graham Dugdale. “Our company’s purpose is ‘We Contribute to Feeding Our World,’ so we strongly align and identify with what the pact is trying to achieve.”
Lapidge commented: “We are delighted Simplot Australia is one of the founding signatories to the Australia Food Pact. They join a powerful group of partners and companies leading Australia’s efforts to halve food waste by 2030. We look forward to working with them closely to reduce food waste and food insecurity, drive innovation and improve sustainability and resilience in the Australian food chain.”
“As the last remaining producer of Australian grown frozen and shelf-stable vegetables of scale under our Birds Eye and Edgell brands, we have a unique view of waste reduction opportunities right across the value chain, from farm to fork. So, when we saw the opportunity of collaborating with industry experts and like-minded organizations to drive innovation and improve the Australian food system’s productivity and resilience, we jumped on it,” said Dugdale.
He added: ”The challenges we face are common. However, through working collaboratively, I believe many benefits can be delivered to society in general, our environment, farmers, consumers, businesses and many other stakeholders that will enable us to deliver and implement change at scale. Simplot has a lot to offer in this space, and together we must make our food system more sustainable resilient, and circular.”
