Consultation opens to inform the National Food Strategy

17 Aug 2019 Consultation opens to inform the National Food Strategy

In June, The Department for Environmental Food & Rural Affair’s (DEFRA) Secretary of State has commissioned Henry Dimbleby to conduct an independent review to help the government create its first National Food Strategy for 75 years.

The overarching aims of the review include:

• addressing the environmental and health problems caused by our food system
• ensuring the security of our food supply
• maximising the benefits of the coming revolution in agricultural technology.

The National Food Strategy will examine activity across several departments of state, building on the flagship Agriculture Bill and Fisheries Bill currently before Parliament, the Industrial Strategy, the Childhood Obesity Plan and the upcoming Environment Bill. It will be designed, in consultation with stakeholders, to ensure our food system:

• delivers safe, healthy, affordable food, regardless of where people live or how much they earn
• is robust in the face of future shocks
• restores and enhances the natural environment for the next generation in this country
• is built upon a resilient, sustainable and humane agriculture sector
• is a thriving contributor to our urban and rural economies, delivering well paid jobs and supporting innovative producers and manufacturers across the country
• delivers all this in an efficient and cost-effective way

And now – they are calling on the public and wider stakeholders to share their ideas, no matter how big or small, on how to transform our current food system. The call is looking for innovations at work or home, in neighbourhoods or businesses; ideas that help citizens make informed decisions about the food they eat, or which increase access to and affordability of high-quality food; ideas that make food production more environmentally sustainable, creating a flourishing countryside rich in wildlife; ideas that help farming, fishing and food businesses and communities thrive, benefitting employees and the wider community; or that promote the highest standards of animal health and welfare; or that could put England at the forefront of innovation and reshape our food system in the coming years.

The consultation is open for 12 weeks and will close on the 25th October 2019. Food Active will be preparing a response in due course, drawing on our experience in local and national policy to help promote healthy weight and sharing our responses with the Food Active network for consultation.

You can view our response to the consultation below.

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