At the beginning of 2010, Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) unveiled the Government’s food strategy report called ‘Food 2030’. The strategy sets out food security challenges facing Britain at a time of population growth, climate change and the rising cost of raw materials and oil.

At the end of the Second World War Attlee’s Government published the UK’s first Food Strategy aiming to ensure future food security in the UK. Today, once again, we need address this issue, and the Government's latest report sets out what we have to do to secure our food for 2030 and beyond.
 

	Food security is as important to this country’s future wellbeing – and the world’s - as energy security. We need to produce more food. We need to do it sustainably.     Hilary Benn

The vision

The Government wants the following to be achieved by 2030 for their vision of a sustainable and secure food system to be met.

• Consumers should be informed, and able to choose, and afford healthy, sustainable food
   
• Food should be produced, processed, and distributed to feed a growing global population in ways which:
   
  • Use global natural resources sustainably
  • Enable the continuing provision of benefits and services given to us by a healthy natural environment
  • Promote high standards of animal health and welfare
  • Protect food safety
  • Make a significant contribution to rural communities
  • Allow us to show global leadership on food sustainability
     
• Food security should be ensured through strong UK agriculture and food sectors, and international trade links with EU and global partners which support developing economies
   
• The UK should work towards having a low carbon food system which is efficient in using resources – any waste is reused, recycled or used for energy generation

The Strategy is structured around six core issues for the food system:

Source: Food 2030 report

Government’s role in creating a sustainable and secure food system

	It can’t all be done by passing legislation, although there’s a place for that where it makes sense, and just because some people don’t like it doesn’t make it wrong. Hilary Benn

Government’s core role, according to the Strategy, in the UK food system is to correct market failures where they arise and to ensure that social equity is maintained.

The Strategy states that: ‘Generally, this will be achieved through the tax and benefit system, but special measures may be needed in some cases to ensure that the more vulnerable in society have adequate access to nutritious food.’ (Food 2030)
 

Engaging with partners to deliver Food 2030

	Achieving a sustainable and secure food system for 2030 depends on everyone in the food system working together. Food 2030, page 5

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, underlined the importance of working together in its ‘Securing food supplies up to 2050’ report, which recommended the development of strong relationships in the food chain to secure food supplies in the long term.

The Strategy states that the Government will build on and strengthen its relationships with businesses in the food chain and those with an interest in food, to deliver a sustainable, secure and healthy food system.

Government’s principles for working with stakeholders will include:

• Mutual trust, openness and transparency in all dealings
• Early engagement on issues
• Working together collaboratively
• Constructive challenge
• Acknowledging disagreement and being open about why there is disagreement
• Basing discussions on evidence
   

Delivering the Strategy

The Government will work with third parties, including the Council of Food Policy Advisers, to map out how to deliver the strategy and develop a timeline for doing so. On behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, Defra is accountable for the delivery of the strategy.
 

Measuring progress – indicators for a sustainable and secure food system

The Government has developed a set of indicators for sustainable food that are aligned with the six core issues for the food system, and it will use the indicators to measure progress in delivering the strategy.

Indicators of course only provide an overview of the challenges involved, so for this reason Government will use them alongside other evidence gathered, as well as feedback from stakeholders. The indicator will be subject to ongoing development.
 

IGD is here to help

We have developed a seven step plan for companies wishing to improve food security.

Make sure that every member of staff appreciates the need for sustainable growth   Build strong partnerships. We won’t succeed with a silo mentality   Share best practice on sustainability. There will always be a first mover advantage but we need to learn from each other   Wage war on waste   Make your supply chain more shockproof   Use technology to raise productivity   Bring your consumers with you through compelling communication

We’ll keep monitoring each of these areas. If you’d like to discuss any of them further, do let us know.

More information:

IGD’s online Sustainability resource

For further information on key points mentioned in the article, please click on the links below:

Food 2030 strategy
UK Food Security Assessment: Detailed analysis
UK Cross-Government Food Research and Innovation Strategy
Securing food supplies up to 2050
Council of Food Policy Advisors
 

Notes to Editors

• Food 2030 is a UK Government strategy. There are separate food policy arrangements in Scotland (Scottish Government (2009) Recipe for Success - Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy), Wales (The Welsh Assembly Government is developing the ‘Wales Food Strategy’ and expected to be published in 2010) and Northern Ireland (Food Strategy Group (2004) Fit For Market (currently under review).
• The agri-food sector contributed £80.5 billion to the economy in 2007 – 6.8% of the total, and is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector.
• 3.6 million people are employed in food and farming.
• In 2008, the value of food exports from the UK was £13.2 billion. The UK imported £31.6 billion worth of food.
• There are 196,000 food chain enterprises in the UK, ranging from large retailers to small cafés.

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Toby Pickard is a Business Analyst for the Industry Development Team at IGD. His work focuses on sustainability related topics that impact the food and grocery sector. He is responsible for much of the content on IGD’s free on-line Sustainability information service.

He also helps manage IGD’s Carbon Footprinting Industry Working Group which has been formed to help assure a single fit for purpose methodology for assessing embedded greenhouse gases emissions.