Courtauld Agreement
The Courtauld Agreement is a voluntary agreement that brings together organisations from across the food system with a commitment to develop solutions and implement changes to cut carbon, water, and waste associated with food and drink against a range of targets.
Overview
The Courtauld Agreement is a voluntary agreement that brings together organisations from across the food system with a commitment to develop solutions and implement changes to cut carbon, water, and waste associated with food and drink against a range of targets.
The first Courtauld Agreement was launched in 2005 and the most recent commitment has been launched for the year 2030 (Courtauld Commitment 2030), to follow on from the targets set for 2025 (Courtauld Commitment 2025). The agreements have been funded by UK Governments and the food sector, and delivered by WRAP. This page refers extensively to the part of the WRAP website focused on this topic[1] and the annual report produced by them for the year 2021[2].
A highlight in the 2021 report states that from 2015 to 2020 that surplus food redistribution has tripled (equivalent to 320,000 tonnes of food saved from going to waste). New Food Waste reduction 'road-map' resources were launched in 2021, including:
- New guidance to measure waste to effluent streams and assessing bio-materials
- A tool kit and templates to support 'whole chain' food waste reduction plans
- An introduction to the food waste reduction road-map
- The first whole chain food waste reduction plan delivered
The initiatives include the 'Food Waste Action Week' and the 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaigns.
Targets
The main implication for the scope of WikiWaste is with respect to Food Waste, with signatories to the voluntary agreement seeking to reduce Food Waste by 20% against 2015 levels by 2025, and 50% against 2007 levels by 2030 (see table below).
| Target | Courtauld Commitment 2025 | Courtauld Commitment 2030 |
|---|---|---|
| Food Waste | 20% reduction in food and drink waste in the UK per person, post-farm gate, against a 2015 baseline | 50% reduction in food and drink waste in the UK per person, post-farm gate, against a 2007 baseline. |
| Carbon | 20% per person reduction in the GHG emissions associated with production and consumption of food & drink waste in the UK, against a 2015 baseline | To deliver a 50% absolute reduction in GHG emissions associated with food and drink consumed in the UK by 2030, against a 2015 baseline |
| Water | A reduction in impact associated with water use and water stress in the supply chain | 50% of fresh food is sourced from areas with sustainable water management. |