As British Food Fortnight continues its celebration of quality, British produce, Love British Food has called on the new Government to embrace a community-focused food strategy. It has issued a selection of proposals ranging from simple and inexpensive steps to those requiring more radical change supported by policy.
British Food Fortnight, the UK’s biggest annual celebration of British food and farming, is the ideal backdrop for this call to action. It highlights the value of local food production and the need for a food strategy that promotes sustainability, education and public health.
There are four proposals that Ministers could implement now, within existing budgets, a further three that would require reallocation of existing budgets, and two more ambitious proposals that as well as policy amendments, would require an increase in budgets.
Could be done now
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Establish cross-departmental cooperation on food policy to ensure cohesive approaches that connect food production with public health, education, and environmental sustainability.
• Prioritise Community Engagement Over Lobbying: Work closely with organisations, businesses, and community leaders who are actively delivering change on the ground, rather than focusing on lobbying groups.
• Move Beyond Targets: Instead of simply aiming for a target of 50% British food in the public sector, focus on a scheme that inspires and enables catering teams, food service organisations, and wholesalers to connect food procurement with nutritional outcomes.
• ‘Buy British’ Initiative: Encourage all food service organisations and wholesalers to feature a ‘Buy British’ category, similar to the supermarkets' ‘Buy British button,’ to promote and prioritise British produce.
Requiring budget reallocation
• Food Education for All: Ensure that every primary school pupil knows where their food comes from, how to prepare it and that every secondary school pupil understands basic nutrition and the critical role of food in mental and physical health.
• Clearer Food Labelling: Implement clearer labelling to highlight food provenance and the link between how food is produced and its nutritional value. Consider reallocating funds from existing programs, such as Red Tractor, to support this initiative.
• Channel Government investment into promoting the benefits of eating seasonal, quality, local British food to the domestic consumer: Currently the majority of investment is geared to promoting British food to the export market.
Ambitious new proposals
• Free and Healthy School Meals: Provide free, healthy school meals for all children. At the very least, extend free school meals to all children on Universal Credit, and ring-fence the food allowance to ensure it is spent on high-quality, nutritious food.
• Investment in British Agriculture: Substantially invest in growing more fruits, vegetables, beans, and pulses. Encourage public institutions to incorporate these foods as part of a balanced menu, alongside less but better-quality meat.
Why now?
“British Food Fortnight is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of our national food strategy and what it can achieve,” says Alexia Robinson, Founder of Love British Food. “We urge the new Government to focus on community, education, and accessibility. We believe that by moving beyond simple targets and offering practical support to those working in the public sector, we can make real changes that benefit everyone – from school children learning about food to local farmers supplying nutritious British produce.”
Love British Food says it is ready to work with the new Government to turn these wishes into actions that will benefit communities across the country. It invites policymakers, businesses and the public to join it in this mission.
