Off The Shelf #8: Half-baked
My favourite ice cream flavour. But also one way to describe the government's recent food strategy
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THE GOVERNMENT’S FOOD STRATEGY: THE BACKGROUND
Last year, the founder of Leon, Henry Dimbleby (yes, another one of those Dimblebys) led an independent review into England’s food system. His National Food Strategy, published last July, highlighted that the food we eat, and the way it’s currently produced, is doing damage to the planet. Intensive agriculture produces 10% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the food system is the biggest contributor to biodiversity loss, deforestation, drought and pollution.
Our food system is also not fit for purpose from a health perspective. 80% of processed food sold in the UK is unhealthy – high in salt, refined carbs, sugar and fats. Because this kind of food is popular, businesses invest more into its production, making the market for it bigger. It’s therefore cheaper, which means poorer people buy more of it. This creates inequality, with the worst off stuck on the worst diets.
But the strategy struck an optimistic tone, suggesting that while it won’t be easy, the pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink the way we do things. It set out 16 recommendations, aligned across four strategic objectives:
Escape the junk food cycle to protect the NHS
Reduce diet-related inequality
Make the best use of our land
Create a long-term shift in our food culture
The 16 recommendations are refreshingly tangible and, by the report’s own admission, constitute an “interventionist” strategy. They include taxes on sugar and salt, mandatory reporting of food waste and junk food sales for large companies, enhancing the school curriculum around food education, more free school meals and vouchers for poorer households and sustainable farming subsidies to support the journey to net zero. It also recommends a £1 billion investment in innovation (alternative proteins, new farming methods, research centres).
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
This month, the government released its own food strategy in response to the report. There are some good bits in it, including a promise to put together a better framework for land use by next year, and an easing of planning restrictions to allow for an increase in sustainable horticulture (UK-grown fruit and vegetables in greenhouses). There will also be consultations on things like supply chain transparency and animal welfare. And there’s some money going towards improving school meals.
But, reading through the strategy, it’s hard to tell which of the 16 original recommendations have actually been taken up. The “summary of key measures” doesn’t make explicit reference to the recommendations, which suggests that they’re not all going to be implemented. It’s a very wordy document, with lots of references to levelling up, and caveats about the inflationary environment we’re in. What really struck me was how vague some of the ‘key measures’ seem. Take this one for example: “we will enable growth in key sectors, including horticulture and seafood, making the most of post-Brexit opportunities”. But there isn’t a great deal of tangible detail about how this will actually be achieved.
The public reception hasn’t been kind, with commentators painting it as “unambitious”, “half-baked” and “bordering on preposterous”. Dimbleby himself has said that it is “not a strategy”.
WHAT NOW?
While I think it’s a good thing that the food system is getting some attention in Whitehall, it doesn’t feel like the transformative approach it could have been. Then again, a full overhaul of the system was never going to happen all at once, and at least some of the measures are a step in the right direction. In the meantime, I wanted to end back on the Dimbleby report, and quote in full a paragraph that really resonated with me:
State intervention is rarely, if ever, sufficient by itself. You can’t send in the army to improve the cooking in schools, or imprison people for serving bad hospital meals. Every delicious and nourishing plate of food that has ever been set before a hungry person tasted good because of the skill, effort and care of the individual who made it. Every school that serves its pupils appetising, nutritious lunches instead of fodder that is bland, boring, beige and bad for you does so because of a head teacher, school cook or business manager who aspired to something better. Change starts at a local level, with talented and dedicated people.
I think we all have a chance to make a small impact on our food system – whether it’s volunteering at a food charity, reading up on ways to support sustainable farming, or simply creating less food waste in our homes. There are loads of things we can do, so in some way, we can all be those “talented and dedicated” people. Surely that can count for something while the machinery of government grinds slowly on.
MORSELS
🧀 Cathedral City cheese has been fined for polluting
⛺️ Forget Glastonbury – a massive agricultural festival took place this week
⬆️ UK inflation hit 9.1%, and food was the biggest contributor
ENTERPRISE SPOTLIGHT
Not just one enterprise this week. There is a special treat to look forward to if you live in Rickmansworth: the #loveyourhighstreet market on Sunday 26 June. The brainchild of the amazing Shelley and Nikki at @lovedup_reloved, a local clothes-swapping business, this now takes place on the last Sunday of every month. Stall holders are expected to have a sustainable angle: there’s a list of recent traders here to give an idea of what to expect. Vegan candles, natural dog treats, second-hand homewares, hand-made brownies. And best of all, this Sunday, a sustainable British barbecue pop-up. Who could that be?
If you’re in the area and short of places to go this weekend, come down and say hi. I’ll be getting some British beef cheeks and pulled pork going on the smoker, along with some other bits and pieces. Hope to see you there!
HOW CAN WE STAY IN TOUCH?
📸 I’m on Instagram where I chronicle my cooking @slothychef
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📧 Drop me a note at info@slothychef.co.uk
GROWING OUR COMMUNITY
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