Pembrokeshire County Council has pledged its support to make the production and consumption of food and drink more sustainable.

The authority became the latest in Wales to sign up to the Courtauld Agreement, a 10-year commitment to develop solutions and implement changes to enable a reduction in food and drink waste.

Pembrokeshire County Council chief executive Ian Westley signed the agreement on behalf of the authority.

The agreement sets out targeted overall outcomes from 2015 to 2025, calculated as a relative reduction per head of population.

These include:

• A 20 per cent reduction in food and drink waste arisings in the UK

• A 20 per cent reduction in the Green House Gas (GHG) intensity of food and drink consumed in the UK

• A reduction in impact associated with water use in the supply chain

Pembrokeshire is already benefitting from the agreement after supermarket chain Aldi announced it was buying almost a million surplus potatoes from Pembrokeshire based food supplier Puffin Produce.

The excess stock, a result of an unexpected bumper harvest would have been sent for waste prior to the Courtauld Agreement yet farmers are now able to sell their excess stock making the supply chain more sustainable.

Peter Maddox, director of the Waste Resources Action Programme UK (WRAP UK), said: “The Courtauld Commitment 2025 is our most ambitious agreement yet and we are delighted that Pembrokeshire County Council has pledged their support as a signatory.

“We are faced with some big challenges ahead with rising populations, climate change and dwindling resources.

“Tackling food waste offers a practical option to address these challenges and in doing so, will create new opportunities.

“Only by working together can we hope to realise the big changes that are essential to ensuring a more prosperous future for individuals, businesses and the planet.”

Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet member for environment and Welsh language Clr. Cris Tomos agrees.

“Pembrokeshire County Council takes its waste responsibilities very seriously and signing this commitment confirms that.”

““We already use the WRAP Cymru’s Recycle For Wales campaign materials to encourage participation in the food waste collection service and signing up to this agreement helps us further.

“We can benefit from other support packages and networks which will not only help Pembrokeshire County Council meet strict recycling targets but also help Pembrokeshire households save £60 a month by reducing the food waste they produce.”