Campaigners Urge COP31 to Address Food Waste
Groups are pressing governments at the Turkey-hosted climate talks to formally recognise the damage caused by food waste.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Organic Food
Live Poll
Should the Welsh Government keep funding free morning milk for schoolchildren?
Campaigners are calling on governments to take action on food waste at COP31 climate change talks being held in Turkey. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is asking the conference to formally recognise the damage caused by food waste.
Why it matters
Tens of thousands of delegates are meeting over the next 10 days, and they will try to agree new targets during the talks. Food waste's climate and resource impacts are being pushed onto the formal agenda as negotiators set those targets.
The 10-day talks in Turkey involve tens of thousands of delegates, and WRAP is pressing for formal recognition of food waste's damage. The extraction does not specify the quantity of food waste or any agreed target, and the outcome of the negotiations remains open.
The players
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
WRAP is a UK-based organisation that works with businesses and governments on reducing waste and improving resource efficiency.
The details
WRAP is calling on COP31 to formally recognise the damage caused by food waste. The campaign is set against a backdrop of delegates expected to try to agree new targets during the talks, while the extraction contains no detail on specific proposals.
Timeline
Over the next 10 days from November 10, 2026, delegates meet at COP31 in Turkey.
In April 2027, the UK Rural Payments Agency is set to withdraw funding for free morning school milk in Wales.
Big Picture
Food waste is being raised within the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties process, the annual forum where climate targets are negotiated. The COP31 push asks that forum to formally acknowledge food waste's climate harm, extending the COP agenda beyond energy and emissions.
Free morning school milk in Wales will lose its Rural Payments Agency funding from April 2027, leaving the Welsh Government to either take over provision or end it. Families whose children depend on that milk will see the change directly once the funding ends.
The takeaway
Food waste is now being argued as a formal part of the climate negotiating agenda, so its inclusion or omission at COP31 will signal how seriously the process treats it. Readers interested in reducing household waste can start by planning meals and using leftovers.
What happens next
Delegates at COP31 will try to agree new targets over the next 10 days, and the Rural Payments Agency's withdrawal of Welsh free morning milk funding takes effect in April 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Organic Food to see how sustainable growing methods relate to food waste.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BBC.
Live Poll
Should the Welsh Government keep funding free morning milk for schoolchildren?
