Overview
- In late July, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose, the Co-op, major manufacturers and charities sent a joint letter to Andy Burnham calling for a Good Food Bill that makes food security a national priority.
- Signatories warn a 'food shock' is likely because UK fruit and vegetable production has fallen about 16% since 2015, imports supply roughly 78% of demand, fertiliser costs have risen around 40%, and heatwaves and wildfires have damaged harvests.
- The proposed Good Food Bill would place targets on a statutory footing to increase UK-grown produce, cut childhood obesity and reduce household food insecurity so businesses and farmers have long-term certainty to invest in resilience.
- The government said it will 'always protect the food security of this country' and pointed to a record £11.7 billion investment in farming, but it has not announced a new statutory Good Food Bill in response to the letter.
- Campaigners and analysts warn food prices could climb sharply—about 50% higher by November versus mid-2021 levels according to the ECIU projection—which would make healthy diets harder to afford for low-income households and add pressure on the NHS.