First Year of New Government: Make Food Fair

What we’re hearing from citizens, farmers & businesses

Policy asks Priorities

Food matters, to everyone, everywhere. For decades, governments have underestimated their crucial role to protect and improve health, the climate, nature and the economy.

In our work with citizens across the UK, we hear again and again the call to make food fair – for family farmers, food enterprises, and everyday people – with real value for citizens and the economy. But are the politicians listening?

Read more about what we're hearing from politicians, businesses and citizens (in the links to the right).

Read our election briefing

We are hearing

from citizens, farmers, campaigners & progressive businesses


After years of inaction, it’s time to tackle the persistent unfairness in the way we grow, make and eat food.

Together, we are calling on the new government to act; to prioritise effective leadership and joined up action to enable us all to play our part in making food fair for all.

Policy asks for the First Year of New Government

This coherent set of interdependent proposals reflect a sweet spot, the common ground backed by citizens, farmers, businesses, environmental and health campaigners alike.

Leadership & Delivery

  • A Food Systems Minister with cross-department responsibility
  • Legally binding food systems targets
  • Mandatory public reporting to assess progress

Food

  • Universal free and healthy school meals
  • Robust mandatory nutrition and sustainability standards for all public procurement
  • Extend taxation on unhealthy food and invest in the availability of healthy food
  • Ban junk food advertising across all platforms
  • Clearer labelling on provenance and health

Farming

  • Align and enhance ELMS and other finance to help majority of farms transition towards more sustainable, regenerative practices
  • Tougher regulation to ensure high standards, and fair dealing between retailers, intermediaries and farmers (including wider remit for Groceries Code Adjudicator)
  • Coherent trade policy (ensuring high environmental, animal health and welfare standards on imports)
  • Ambitious horticultural strategy (connecting expanded production, consumption, and public health)

Countryside

  • Publish a Multifunctional Land Use Framework that works across sectors & departments using land and supports local decision making, with a national body to lead and coordinate data and monitor progress towards government targets
  • Establish a national Nature Service, as a movement which builds skills and jobs for nature, and improves access to the countryside
  • Invest in delivering more affordable and sustainable rural housing by supporting a national network of rural housing enablers

First Year of New Government priorities

Make food systems reform

a cross-cutting issue

to showcase new ways of working in government

Create a

Food Systems Minister

to oversee reforms

Undertake a rapid review of

food & farming policy ideas

to determine what needs implementing now

Implement a Multifunctional

Land Use Framework

to enable good governance & joined-up policy

Hear more from citizens, businesses and farmers across our work

CITIZEN VOICES
FARMING VOICES
PROGRESSIVE BUSINESS VOICES