A coalition of more than 100 organisations has recently urged the UK government to introduce a landmark Good Food Bill to fix what is described as a failing food system.
Businesses including leading food retailers and manufacturers Marks & Spencer, Danone, Co-op Group, Bidfood, The Compleat Food Group, together with major caterers Elior and Sodexo, have joined health organisations and NGOs in the move. They have put their names to a joint statement calling for new primary legislation that champions transformational food system change.
A ‘Good Food Bill’ would put into place the long-term duties required by government to deliver important wins. It would enshrine in law policies, targets and ambitions to improve public health, reduce inequalities, protect the environment, and improve UK resilience, while safeguarding progress from short-term political cycles.
The announcement comes as YouGov polling finds that a clear majority of the public believes government should do more.
- 69% of people think the government should be doing more to ensure everyone can afford and access healthy food.
- 65% of people support a ‘Food Bill’ that would introduce duties and targets on government bodies to make healthy food more accessible and affordable.
- Half (53%) of people think the current state of international affairs has made protecting the UK food supply ‘more important.’