More than 100 food businesses, NGOs and other groups have issued a statement demanding the government publish a new Good Food Bill, amid accusations that the government’s food strategy has turned into an enormous damp squib.
Businesses including the Co-op, M&S, Danone, Bidfood, The Compleat Food Group and Sodexo all backed the call, which comes after The Grocer revealed last year that No 10 had blocked plans in Defra’s draft food strategy for a food white paper.
The companies, who have joined forces with the likes of the Food Foundation, the British Heart Foundation and the British Medical Association, are calling for ministers to commit to a Good Food Bill, which they claim would give the government’s strategy much-needed teeth.
Today’s statement calls for the legislation to underpin commitment to transform the food system to ensure healthier diets, food security and measures to protect the resilience of UK farming.
Those behind the calls told The Grocer they were growing increasingly concerned that the government had abandoned its food strategy promises and its pledge to build on Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy of 2019, as it had previous promised.
The statement said the Good Food Bill should be aimed at both farmers and food businesses, describing it as a “a once-in-a-life time opportunity” for the UK government to set out a visionary plan to transform the food system.
It calls on the government to enshrine in law policies, targets and ambitions to improve public health, reduce inequalities, protect the environment and improve UK resilience, while safeguarding progress from short-term political cycles.
The businesses and NGOs claim they have huge public support for the moves, with research claiming 69% of people think the government should be doing more to ensure everyone can afford and access healthy food. Sixty-five per cent of people said they supported the idea of a ‘Food Bill’ that would put in place new duties and targets on government and government bodies to make healthy food more accessible and affordable.
“We see this as a really key moment in the food strategy,” said Lydia Collas, head of natural environment at Green Alliance.
“The food strategy is at risk of not delivering lasting change and a commitment to publish a white paper is the key way for the government to answer that.
“This has huge support from the food industry itself with companies like M&S and Danone who are saying that this is a real opportunity for a better food system.
“We have seen bits of pieces of policy from the government and we are incredibly concerned that so far action has fallen well short of what was promised.”
Then environment secretary Steve Reed first set out plans for a “coalition” of cross-government departments and industry to tackle sweeping food-related issues in December 2024.
Food Foundation executive director Anna Taylor said: “It has now been 14 months since the government first set out its ambition for a food strategy and with the next King’s Speech approaching, now is the prime opportunity to commit to a white paper as a precursor to a ‘Good Food Bill’ to lock in the government’s ambition for a healthier, more resilient, sustainable food system.
“With food strategies and legislation already in place across the devolved nations, this is a timely opportunity for Westminster to introduce legislation that benefits the whole UK. We are calling on the government to seize this moment, commit to new primary legislation and lead the change needed to build a food system fit for the future.”
No comments yet