The National Food Strategy led by Henry Dimbleby was commissioned by government to set out a vision and a plan for a better food system. Today, Part Two of the strategy has been published.
It contains three key objectives, minimising the consumption of junk food to reduce its impact on the NHS and eradicating obesity-related inequality, transforming effective use of UK land to protect the environment, and developing long-term improvements in developing a health based food culture.
The report is clear in the need for urgent reduction in the consumption of both sugar and salt being fundamental to improvements across its strategy. Proposing a tax on both sugar and salt to raise £3.4 billion a year for the exchequer to fund growth in the provision of free school meals.
The report quotes “malfunctioning appetites” being created through marketing of unhealthy cheap foods becoming the staple diet of millions around the UK. The report then cites this as the cause of much dietary ill health, costing the taxpayer and the NHS billions of pounds and thousands of avoidable early deaths.
The report recommends that primary schools universally provide free school meals for every child throughout their first three years. A change to current provision limited to children from low income households supplemented by benefits.
This all too often leads to children going hungry and as such not fuelled to benefit from the school environment. The report recommends expansion of free school meal eligibility as campaigned for by Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford.
The National Food Strategy points to the decline in home cooking stemming from the emergence and adoption of convenience food in the late 20th century. As a consequence, the culture of family dining shifted from around a table to dispersed locations centred around technology.
Food education has also been in serious decline over recent decades, although schools are required by law to teach Home Economics to all school children until they are 14, few do. It is generally replaced by higher priority ‘real’ learning. Although how this has transpired given the requirement by law to do so was not spelt out.
The strategy calls for a ‘reboot of food education’ starting earlier and continuing throughout school life to sixth form. Urging readers to recognise “it’s time to take food education seriously”.
High levels of environmental best practise and standards from British farmers are essential in the report, warning that trade deals are in real danger of opening up the import of cheaper low standard food products. A threat to UK farmers as well as consumers.
Brexit forced the government into overhauling circa £3 billion in UK subsidies for farmers, moving from payments received based on the area farmed, to increasing wildlife habitats, soil quality, flood protection, and increasing carbon storage. The report recommends government continue this move in focus and extend to 2029, helping farms migrate to creating sustainable land use.
Wider use of technology is encouraged to create a new more ecologically balanced food network utilising artificial technology and robotics. Science can lead to much needed reductions in the use of pesticides and fertilizers that damage the ecosystems where they are applied. New breeding techniques are to be found, as are feed additives to reduce methane from cattle that damages the climate.
The report recommends incentivising businesses that work on laboratory grown and plant based alternative proteins for the UK to advance in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
The National Food Strategy presents many opportunities and challenges for hospitality that doubtless the industry will rise to meeting as part of our post pandemic recovery process.
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Hospitality & Catering News: The National Food Strategy presents opportunities and challenges for hospitality. – 15 July 2021 – The National Food Strategy presents opportunities and challenges for hospitality.
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