Three of the UK’s leading supermarkets have still not promised to halve their food waste by 2030, despite the UN urging companies to commit to this global target.

Tearfund said a third of all food produced globally is not eaten and waste on this scale is “fueling climate change, causing more droughts, floods and less reliable rain, making life harder for the people in poverty across the world that Tearfund works with”.

Ten UK supermarkets were contacted by their customers during the charity’s Renew Our Food campaign.

In response, most supermarkets made pledges to halve their food waste, but despite almost 10,000 people asking stores to take action, Asda, Lidl and Morrisons did not agree.

Clare Lyons from the charity told Premier what they’d like the shops to do.

“They can relax their cosmetic standards to make sure fruit and vegetables aren’t going to waste before they get to stores,” she said.

“They can look at supply chains to make sure their suppliers are cutting food waste. There’s an important benefit from an economic point of view. But most importantly it’s something their customers really want.”

The supermarket’s responses to Tearfund’s campaign have been published online, with the stores making the firmest commitments rated green, those in the middle getting amber and those who did not move on the issue rated red.

Top of the table with a green rating are the…

Bishop Nicholas told Premier it would be a ‘hopeful act’ if the community comes together in churches this Easter, following the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

He said the Easter message is particularly relevant, given how tough the last few weeks have been.

“This is one of those occasions when the Christian faith speaks deeply into our present context. The terrible things that happened don’t get the last word.

In the end love, life and resurrection are where the story takes us,” Bishop Nicholas said.

He added that there are similarities between Jesus’ betrayal and Skripal’s attack.

“Salisbury has been through a difficult time, it’s got some of the same ingredients in terms of betrayal, a murderous attack and people who have been deeply injured by this,” Bishop Nicholas said.

He said that every church in the area had a Palm Sunday service which incorporate remembrance of the attack’s victims. He said churches will also use Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Services to remember what happened and encourage the community.

Listen to Bishop Nicholas speaking with Premier’s Alex Williams here: 

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