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To: Prime Minister David Cameron

Make supermarkets hand over all unsold food to charities and offer a delivery service to the needy.

Rather than wasting millions of pounds worth of food that is still usable, make supermarkets donate their leftover products that are still safe to eat, to food banks.

Encourage existing customers to donate towards a delivery service to needy people in their area on the delivery run.

Why is this important?

A group of French MPs has tabled a draft law to make it compulsory for supermarkets to hand over all unsold food still fit for consumption to charity. Many supermarket chains in France already donate unsold produce to charities, but 63 MPs from across the political spectrum would like to see the practice enshrined in law.

Late in July, they tabled a draft bill making it compulsory for supermarkets with 1,000 square metres (10,800 sq ft) of floor space to give their “unsold but still consumable food products to at least one food charity”. Belgium became the first European country to introduce a similar a law in May.

Given that the UK is facing an ever-more worrying reliance on food banks, shouldn’t we be thinking along these lines too?

Under the next 5 years of Conservative government, people will be encouraged to live an ever-more healthy life-style to reduce the pressure on the NHS. What better way to do this than to ensure the most needy have access to fresh fruit and vegetables and other basic essentials they currently can only class as a luxury if on benefits or a very low income?

I propose an even more logical solution: Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to afford wonderful groceries delivered to our doorstep could donate an extra £2 per purchase to ensure that fresh fruit and veg and other essential groceries are delivered to someone in need en route to our homes.

You might be utterly surprised, David Cameron, just how many of us would be willing to sign up to such a scheme, thus ensuring the sick, disabled and elderly have a much-needed helping hand.

Please consider this idea very seriously as it is based upon pure logic and the sharing of resources that are currently simply wasted.

Updates

2015-06-05 18:25:21 +0100

There are just so many desperate charities out there asking for help since this campaign started. It's heartbreaking that so many people are in such dire need.
There's not much else I can do other than shout at the MPs (doing that) and urging YOU ALL to write to your MPs (it's easy, go here: https://www.writetothem.com/) and ask them to sign their support for Diane Abbot's EDM which you can see here: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2015-16/66
We need 50 or more MPs' signatures for this to be seen as important enough to go to debate with enough MPs present. XXX

2015-06-02 13:06:23 +0100

I wrote an article for The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/im-calling-on-the-government-to-ban-food-waste-because-noone-should-be-starving-in-the-uk-10290009.html

2015-05-31 18:26:25 +0100

150,000 signatures reached

2015-05-29 17:18:52 +0100

Thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign and offered help in so many ways, I now have a meeting set up with Caroline Lucas MP next week to discuss how we can push this forward as quickly as possible.
Love to everyone who continues to show support. Your altruism continues to astound me. :) X

2015-05-29 03:30:40 +0100

Ugh. I've seen a few disgusting comments on here about the "work shy."
The same work shy people that IDS and his cronies sanction benefits from- the sick, the elderly and the dying?
Yeah they are total lazy so and sos!
Play nicely people and be kind. One day, YOU just might fall on hard times and need a helping hand for a while. X

2015-05-27 14:24:44 +0100

I'm completely new to Twitter and don't really know how to use it. (I know- I'm always late to the party!)
However, I've tweeted my wonderful MP Caroline Lucas because I think she's utterly fabulous when it comes to speaking common sense and I've tweeted at Jamie Oliver too because I know he's passionate about healthy eating for everyone.
I've a full time job so I can't do as much as I'd like to keep this thing going; it's more time consuming than you might think- ideas are welcome for anyone else I should try and get on board who can wield some influence.
Lizzie XXX

2015-05-27 02:08:13 +0100

There's been a huge press interest in this, which has both shocked and delighted me. I've responded as best I can via email to those who have contacted me, urging them to get in touch with my MP, Caroline Lucas who is incredibly erudite and vocal and can push this forward to parliament and the press with far more eloquence than I!
If you have signed this petition and believe it should be taken a step further, I urge you all to Twitter @Caroline Lucas as it's not time consuming and could make a huge impact.
Thank you so much for your support.
Lizzie XXX

2015-05-25 12:12:51 +0100

100,000 signatures reached

2015-05-24 10:02:19 +0100

50,000 signatures reached

2015-05-20 14:26:03 +0100

20,000 signatures reached

2015-05-19 18:17:06 +0100

10,000 signatures reached

2015-05-19 11:51:33 +0100

5,000 signatures reached

2015-05-18 20:31:21 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2015-05-18 19:02:47 +0100

500 signatures reached

2015-05-18 16:19:03 +0100

100 signatures reached