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14th December 2021

An open letter to the business owners of Kent, from Produced in Kent CE Floortje Hoette

We know every business in Kent has got sustainability well and truly on their radar. We are all doing something to be more environmentally conscious and socially aware. Even small improvements count towards our collective responsibility to build a more sustainable future for our families.

One of the biggest challenges in the UK is food waste, particularly edible food waste on a commercial scale. This is a challenge we have discovered can only be solved by improving communications and working closely together. We need to make it easier to move excess food on to organisations who can use it as ingredients, repurpose it or redistribute it to people who need it.

We can drive the elimination of edible food waste in Kent and Medway and be an example for other counties. Through the ‘No Food Wasted Forum’ we have heard from growers, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, hospitality, charities and food banks alike. All suffer from both lack or abundance of food at different times, and collectively we have imagined a smart solution to this challenge.

A B2B app called FOOD LOOP. Every food-related organisation in the county will be able to share details of excess food so others can make good use of it. FOOD LOOP is set to revolutionise food waste in Kent, but more than that, we’ll become a county that’s better connected, more aware of opportunity, sustainably robust and going the extra mile to support food insecurity in the county. Foodbank dependency in Kent and Medway rose by 200% in 2020,[1] we need to working harder to reduce those figures and we think this is just one of the many benefits of FOOD LOOP.

But first we must fund FOOD LOOP. Incredibly, we’ve already raised £27,000 of the required £43,000 through LoCase, NUNC Philanthropic Trust and our incredible FOOD LOOP champions who have been crowdfunding the launch, including; Simply Ice Cream Ltd, Growing Kent & Medway, Karara Foods, Berry Gardens Ltd. Locate in Kent, Nim's Fruit Crisps, Richard Oldfield, MACKNADE Fine Foods, Fareshare Kent, Leverets Advocacy, RIFT Group, AC Hulme & Sons, Medway Food Partnership, AC Goatham & Son, Specialty Breads, Our Kitchen Thanet, Plurenden Manor Farm, Aston Lark, Thanet Earth & Maidstone Distillery. FOOD LOOP is endorsed by Kent County Council Leader Roger Gough.

I’m asking you to help us reach our funding target by joining our FOODLOOP Champions community, we need more businesses each donating £500 to reach our target by 23 December 2021. Can you help?

In addition to doing something incredible to support the county, you can use the Food Loop Champion logo in your marketing, we’ll mention you in any PR outreach and you’ll be invited to attend the FOOD LOOP Champions inaugural dinner. Contact Produced in Kent to arrange your donation, via my email Floortje.hoette@producedinkent.co.uk.

Together we will reduce edible food waste, build a more sustainable county, and create better access to good food for all in Kent and Medway.

Thank you in advance for your help and support,

Floortje Hoette - CE Produced in Kent


[1] Stats from food- surplus-and- waste-in-the- uk-key-facts-oct-21.pdf (wrap.org.uk) and Medway Trussell Trust food bank saw 200% increase in demand during lockdown (kentonline.co.uk)

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