Food waste is a challenge for businesses across the industry, and reducing food waste is an important part of the BerryWorld Sustainability Strategy. We aim to reduce food waste across our operations, and ensure that we do everything to ensure that our berries make their way to people. 

In 2020 we made a commitment to reduce food waste in our own operations by 50% by 2030, committing to the WRAP UK Food and Drink Pact, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. We are following their Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, and we annually review our progress against this framework. 

What are we doing to tackle food waste?

• Within our own operations: We have delivered improvement to cold storage facilities, reduced handling techniques, packaging improvement technologies, shelf life extensions.
• Increasing redistribution: We work with FareShare and other food charities to redistribute our fruit when we are unable to sell them and they remain suitable for human consumption. This included 136 tonnes of soft fruit in 2023. We also encourage growers within our supply base to look for local opportunities. Some of our growers are now supplying fruit for juicing, freezing and jamming. 
• Working with growers: Our varietal development programmes has meant that our varieties are bred to be more robust, better quality with extended shelf life, producing more Class 1 yields and more resistant to specific pests and diseases. We also work to improve field and crop management i.e. use of tunnels, irrigation methods, etc. harvesting techniques and training, pick to chill monitoring.
• Working with retailers: We work closely with retailers to agreed strategies to move more fruit at key times of the year  i.e. larger packs / 1kg and other promotional activities.
• Engaging consumers: We work to reduce household food waste through social media activity and developing recipe cards to help consumers use soft fruit in various meals and deserts. Our communications have highlighted benefits of freezing fruit as well the importance of keeping fruit in the fridge. 
  • You can find our delicious recipe ideas here. Freezing excess fruit or using fruit in new ways can help reduce food waste in the home. 
• Where fruit is not redistributed to our charity partners as it is not suitable for human consumption, it is sent to anerobic digestion to produce biogas and biofertilizer.