New UK food strategy faces criticism from own consultants

The government’s food strategy has been published and nobody – not even the author of the report on which it was based – seems to be impressed.


FILE PHOTO: Broccoli is seen for sale amongst other vegetables at a market, in London, Britain February 3, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
FILE PHOTO: Broccoli is seen for sale amongst other vegetables at a market, in London, Britain February 3, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
Bywire - Claim your free account nowBywire - Claim your free account now

LONDON (Bywire News) - The new British food strategy was announced on Monday and already its policies have attracted plenty of criticism.  

With government statistics that confirm one in three people of England to be obese and an additional 36.2% as overweight, a food strategy for tackling obesity has been long awaited.

The strategy had been devised and deliberated by many officials, including the founder of Leon restaurant, Henry Dimbleby. Among the policies suggested was a plan for a tax on salt and sugar in processed food. However, that has been ignored with the government claiming it would only bump up the cost of living. As so often with Johnson he has chosen to kick the can down the road, promising to respond to that area of the strategy later. 

So, what exactly is included? The focus has shifted from taxation toward internal manufacturing to increase the UK’s capacity to produce foods. £270 million will be invested into technologies which increase production with plans for 50% of food produced for the public sector to be sourced domestically or be verified as having higher quality.

Other proposals to help farmers grow more have received support from the National Farmers’ Union. However, details of how this will be done are yet to be established. So far we have only the promise of an outline to be published next year. 

Overall the proposals are vague, unclear and unambitious lacking many of the proposals which Henry Dimbleby had put forward.  

“They've now implemented more than 50% of what I recommended, but it hasn't been done with one vision across the whole system" he stated.

The result is yet another government strategy which struggles to define how it will address one of the key problems facing the country. 

(Writing by Anna Kapanadze, editing by Klaudia Fior)

Bywire will email you from time to time with news digests, stories & opportunities to get involved. Privacy

Bywire - Claim your free account nowBywire - Claim your free account now