Four priorities to ensure the new food strategy fulfils its promise – Inside track

Expensive food, unhealthy diets, farmers that can’t make a living and a nation grappling with the climate and nature crises. With all of this in the in-tray, the news last week that the government aims to reshape the food system and develop a new food strategy was a breath of fresh air. This is a significant step, especially after so many years of anticipation and inaction, following Henry Dimbleby’s landmark 2021 National Food Strategy which was widely acclaimed but shelved by the last government.

Defra Secretary Steve Reed has announced that the government will outline a long term vision for how we produce, consume and manage food across the country at this critical moment. Here are our four priorities for a successful strategy:

1. Reduce environmental risks

Climate change, biodiversity loss and water insecurity threaten the world’s ability to produce enough food. In the UK, extreme weather is taking a huge toll. According to Defra, 2024 saw a ten per cent reduction in wheat yields the second worst harvest on record, due to cold and damp weather conditions. Farming also has a significant impact on the environment and is responsible for 12 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The independent watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection, has found carbon cutting progress in the farming sector, as well as nature and water quality targets, to be off track and has emphasised that better policies are needed to support farmers to take steps to change.

The new food strategy should go further than just looking at production at the farm gate. UK food demand is impossible to meet from UK land alone. For future food security with a growing population, we need to look at reducing pressure on land overall to produce food, by wasting less and by increasing the consumption of plant-based foods. This will also reduce our use of land overseas. Lowering demands on land is essential as the global population rises and the impacts of climate change on harvests accelerate.

2. End food poverty and diet related illnesses

It is encouraging to see the government include affordability in its food security index. The number of people suffering from food insecurity in the UK has grown, with the Trussell Trust estimating that 3.1 million people used food banks in 2023-24. As highlighted in Henry Dimbleby’s report, we face diet-related inequality across England as unhealthy diets are, per calorie, much cheaper than healthier diets. These problems, which no developed country should be suffering, are wider indicators of our broken food system. A primary outcome of the new strategy should be to ensure healthy, affordable food for all. Treating the illnesses caused by poor diets also has huge implications for NHS budgets, with an estimated annual spend on obesity related diseases of £6.5 billion.

3. Ensure fairness for farmers

As Steve Reed said in his announcement, a sustainable food system also means creating sustainable incomes for farmers. Recent changes to inheritance tax, which sparked farmer protests outside parliament, have shone a light on deep rooted structural issues in the sector, including unfair supply chain practices.  Analysis from Sustain has found that UK farmers often receive less than one per cent of the total profits raised from the food they produce.

Systems exist to monitor fairness in supply chains, such as the Grocery Code Adjudicator and Defra’s Fair Dealings Obligations on milk sales. The food strategy should be used to strengthen all procurement rules and align them with objectives for healthy and more sustainable food, guaranteeing fairer compensation for farmers.

4. Grow the economy as well as food

One of Labour’s missions is to enhance economic growth. The food strategy could play its part in advancing this mission by driving innovation and positioning the UK as a global leader in the alternative protein sector.

We have previously highlighted that this presents a significant growth opportunity, potentially generating up to £6.8 billion annually in the UK and creating 25,000 jobs in a range of related industries by 2035. The investment would also help to encourage a healthier dietary balance, as current meat consumption in the UK is well above the dietary recommendations.

We are excited by the proposal that the strategy will be co-produced with stakeholders across the food sector. We believe this is essential to achieve lasting impact and inclusive outcomes. We urge the government to act swiftly and decisively, as the results of this ambitious strategy have potential to bring huge benefits to farmers, the environment and all of society.