Government food strategy ‘misses the mark’, critics warn
Fiona Simpson
Monday, June 13, 2022
The government’s long-awaited food strategy has been branded a “pale imitation” of proposals put forward by an advisor to reduce food poverty in England.
The strategy, published today (13 June), “focuses on longer-term measures to support a resilient, healthier, and more sustainable food system that is affordable to all”, it states.
Among a raft of measures to reform farming and agriculture, the strategy says the government will review current policies around healthy eating in schools and pledges to increase support for schools to teach pupils how to cook healthy meals.
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The strategy also reiterates delayed plans to crack down on junk food advertising and a further £600m investment in the Holiday Activities and Food programme over the next three-years.
However, campaigners have said the strategy does not go far enough to deliver proposals set out in Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, which was published in 2020, and was hoped to underpin measures implemented by government.
Dimbleby’s review included calls for a major expansion of free school meals in a bid to reduce food poverty among the most vulnerable families.
The Food Foundation, which supports families living with food poverty, describes the food strategy as "disappointing", saying that while the White Paper “echoes many of Henry Dimbleby’s good ideas” it mostly “misses this mark”.
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation said: “Despite its name, the whole document is lacking a strategy to transition the food system towards delivering good food which is accessible to everyone. And without a commitment to a new Food Bill, many of the commendable commitments made are in reality toothless.
“It is a feeble interpretation of Henry Dimbleby’s recommendations, which will not be sufficient to drive the long-term change that we know is so urgently needed.”
Dimbleby told the BBC that the government had “implemented more than 50 per cent of what I recommended, but it hasn't been done with one vision across the whole system."
Announcing the strategy, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "The strategy we are setting out today will increase the focus on skills in the food sector, and the roles and career pathways available. In particular, we will seek to boost our horticulture industry and ensure the expertise needed to develop the sector here in the UK."
