Food framework aims to strengthen UK’s security

The Food Foundation says strategy is an opportunity to “start winning the fight against diet related disease” while NFU stresses criticality of profitable farming  

The government has launched its new Good Food Cycle framework, identifying ten priority outcomes aimed at driving a "generational change" in the UK's relationship with food.

Developed in conjunction with government departments, the Food Strategy Advisory Board, workshops with charities and businesses, and a Citizen Advisory Council, the strategy aims to build more resilient food supply chains while tackling challenges from rising obesity rates to climate change impacts on production.

Key outcomes to create a good food cycle include:    

• An improved food environment that supports healthier and more environmentally sustainable food sales    
• Access for all to safe, affordable, healthy, convenient and appealing food options     
• Conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains      

The framework sits at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change, and aims to build stronger, more resilient food supply chains to protect Britain from potential disruptions and strengthen national security.

Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security, said, “Food security is national security – we need a resilient food system that can weather any storm while ensuring families across the country can access affordable, healthy food.”   

Partnerships with big food companies will see the government share data on healthy food sales, aimed at creating more transparency and a level playing field across the industry.   

“The Good Food Cycle will be good for the health of our communities and help us curb the rising tide of cost and demand on the NHS.”  

Ashley Dalton, Minister for Health said, “We want to make sure all families have the option of healthy, high-quality food – not least because it helps tackle the epidemic of obesity, which costs our NHS over £11 billion a year.  The Good Food Cycle will be good for the health of our communities and help us curb the rising tide of cost and demand on the NHS.”  

Evidence shows that children living in poverty are far less likely to have enough nutritious food to eat, with almost one in five living in food insecurity, affecting their health and attainment at school. The Good Food Cycle is designed to improve access to healthy, affordable food for families and give them the skills and support to cook and eat healthily.  

Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation, said, “The Food Strategy is an opportunity to reset the rules governing the food system so we start winning the fight against diet related disease and unlock progress in delivering our nature and climate targets. The wellbeing of citizens must be at the heart of these changes, with food businesses now being encouraged to sell and promote healthier options.”

Tom Bradshaw, NFU President welcomed the strategy but added that while Defra is holding a review into farm profitability — which aims to provide recommendations and proposed actions for the government and industry to support farming profitability — there is a “lack of joined-up thinking, as evidenced in this food strategy, that farms are commercial businesses and to succeed they must be profitable”. He said this poses a “real risk” to British farming’s ability to deliver on food, the environment and economic growth. 

 “We need everyone in government to recognise that a resilient food system is not just an ambition but a necessity, and that a thriving, profitable farming industry is critical to delivering this.”