Grocery giants join calls for new PM to introduce ‘Good Food Bill’

The letter, also signed by the likes of Aldi, Waitrose, Booths and the Co-op, as well as food manufacturing giants Greencore and Danone, and charities including Amnesty International UK and Barnardo’s, is calling on the PM to introduce a “legally binding framework that would improve national food and nutrition security, public health and food system resilience”.

The letter notes that with wildfires continuing to rage across mainland Europe, many areas of the UK sweltering through a third heatwave of the summer in drought, and “geopolitics remaining on a knife edge, the fragility of the UK food system is increasingly obvious”.

It adds that farmers and growers face rising costs and increasing pressure from climate change and nature loss, while international conflict has pushed fertiliser costs up by 40% in recent years.

Together, these issues are also contributing to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with food prices forecast to be 50% higher by November compared to the start of the crisis.

“Each new shock lands on a food system with less capacity to absorb it. British production of fruit and vegetables has fallen 16% since 2015, and we now import 78% of our supply. The next food shock is not a question of if, but when,” the letter adds.

“To meet it prepared, food has to stop being an afterthought for the government: we need mechanisms to put food high on the priority list of every part of government, both national and local, so that any decisions that impact on health, farming, planning, and trade secure better access to healthy and sustainable food for everyone.

“The cost of doing nothing on this issue is already falling on those with the least resources, with food insecurity already affecting 15% of households with children. Economic pressures continue to push a healthy diet further out of reach for many, with the NHS then left to pick up the bill.”

Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said: “Recent weeks have shown just how much pressure our food system is under. We need a more resilient food system that attracts investment, backs British farmers and helps keep affordable, nutritious food on tables across the nation. Food and farming should be at the heart of government policy, helping to build a stronger and more resilient future. That’s why we’ve signed the Good Food Bill. Through working together to drive the change we need across government, industry and communities, we can make sure everyone has access to good food for years to come.”

Booths chief executive Nigel Murray said, “At Booths, we believe everyone should have access to good food, and that starts with a resilient food system that supports both customers and the farmers who produce it. The Good Food Bill is an opportunity to take a longer-term view of food security, strengthen British agriculture and help ensure that healthy, affordable food remains within reach for future generations.”