Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy identified areas for further policy development, including the agri-food sector, whilst also outlining the need to ensure consistency between national policy in relation to the circular economy, the bioeconomy and climate action.

In relation to interventions to reduce food supply chain losses, my Department has been running a Food Waste Reduction Scheme to provide financial support to food businesses to encourage cutting food waste. The aim is to help to reduce the 1 million tonnes of food waste Ireland produces each year. The most recent scheme closed for applications on the 22nd March 2024 and I will announce successful projects later this year. The scheme has supported organisations such as Food Cloud to develop practical solutions involving primary producers, wholesalers, retailers and charities to redistribute food.

My Department is also a signatory to the Food Waste Charter which is focused on driving food waste reduction across the food value chain. This charter requires food sector businesses to commit to measuring and reporting food waste in a clear and consistent manner. The development of the charter is a key action in the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap.

In addition, Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme run by Bord Bia, incorporates addressing the food waste challenge as a key priority for members under their waste targets.

The Government published a Bioeconomy Action Plan in October 2023 which included 33 actions across seven policy pillars. This includes support for re-circulation of food processing by-products and their upcycling. In 2023, I announced two new funding mechanisms aimed at supporting the establishment of bioeconomy piloting and demonstration facilities on the Island of Ireland through the EU Just Transition Fund and the Shared Island Initiative and I look forward to announcing the successful awards later this year.

These will complement my Department's funding of the Teagasc Prepared Consumer Foods Centre which helps companies to pilot equipment to reduce food waste and packaging, aligning with the ambition to deliver circular economy and bioeconomy approaches.

Finally, my Department is also investing in research in this area. Most recently, on foot of our 2023 Research Call, I announced over €4.6 million for bioeconomy projects in areas such as more efficient utilisation and value-added opportunities from meat co-products, biobased packaging, and fermentation technology supporting the upcycling of food waste.

Overall, my Department will continue its wide ranging engagement to assist the Irish food sector play its part in the broader circular economy.