Sainsbury’s has pledged support for the Good Food Bill, joining calls for industry and the government to work more closely to improve the resilience of the UK food system.
The bill asks for a holistic plan to transform the UK’s food system to ensure it can withstand challenges such as extreme weather and geopolitical crises and help everyone access good, nutritious food.
Sainsbury’s support for the bill comes as recent heatwaves across Europe have put the UK’s food system resilience in the spotlight.
The retailer has taken steps to tackle these challenges in partnership with its suppliers, such as committing £5bn to long-term partnerships with British and Irish suppliers earlier this year. However, Sainsbury’s said the bill would accelerate efforts by outlining clearer objectives to further ensure farmers are protected from climate shocks and inflation.
“Recent weeks have shown just how much pressure our food system is under,” said Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts. “We need a more resilient food system that attracts investment, backs British farmers and helps keep affordable, nutritious food on tables across the nation.
“Food and farming should be at the heart of government policy, helping to build a stronger and more resilient future. That’s why we’ve signed the Good Food Bill. Through working together to drive the change we need across government, industry and communities, we can make sure everyone has access to good food for years to come.”
In February, more than 100 food businesses including Co-op, M&S, Danone and Bidfood, alongside NGOs and other groups, issued a statement demanding the government publish a new Good Food Bill.
It said the Good Food Bill should be aimed at both farmers and food businesses, describing it as a “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the UK government to set out a visionary plan to transform the food system.
It called 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 Food Foundation executive director Anna Taylor said: “Decades without a coherent plan for food policy has left the UK food system dangerously exposed to external shocks far beyond our borders. What we need now is a Good Food Bill that sets out a long-term statutory framework for building public health and national and household resilience – one that holds successive governments to account and protects citizens, businesses and farmers alike.
“It is great to see Sainsbury’s supporting this call. We urge other businesses to do the same, and for government to take decisive action on food.”
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