UK charity The Food Foundation has welcomed the new National Food Strategy for England, saying it makes the case for government intervention, as it would be near-impossible for citizens to make the necessary dietary changes on their own.
It says the strategy could tackle many of the issues highlighted in its Broken Plate Report presenting 10 metrics against England’s food system crisis.
Foundation Chair Laura Sandys said, “The strategy that is both comprehensive and clear in its recommendations.
“The challenges cannot be solved with piece meal, one off initiatives but require deep systemic change. This whole system change is very well represented throughout the strategy.
“We were very pleased that our Executive Director, Anna Taylor OBE was able to contribute so fully.”
The charity welcomes recommendations on sugar and salt taxes to encourage reformulation, mandatory business reporting, action on children’s food insecurity, increasing access to fruit and vegetables, and strengthening food system governance.
“Young people called for more education about cooking and the food system”
The Food Foundation consulted young people around England to discuss food in relation to health, the environment and affordability.
A final national workshop was held online, bringing together 22 young people with Food Strategy lead Henry Dimbleby and members of the National Food Strategy team at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The young people called for more education about the food system and its impact on our health and the planet. More cooking skills and nutrition should be taught from an early age, they said. Healthy food should attract higher advertising budgets and consumer information should be clearer.
They asked for better government policy to stimulate greener agricultural policies, shifts in consumer diets, greener packaging and promotion of locally sourced food.
And they said everyone should have access to affordable healthy and sustainable food.
