Eating Better

Ensuring everyone has access to a healthy diet that doesn’t cost the earth is a critical priority. The Food Strategy falls desperately short on effective, evidence-based measures to achieve this.

As the UK’s civil society was coming to terms with the lack of ambition of its government’s National Food Strategy, which according to the Committee for Climate Change “will do precious little to tackle emissions from agriculture which is now one of the most serious contributors to climate change”, alliance member Changing Markets launched a new study looking at how much different measures can contribute to methane reductions in agriculture. The study confirms that policies promoting healthier diets could lead to the biggest methane cuts in the EU. Blog for Eating Better by Nusa Urbancic, Campaigns Director at the Changing Markets Foundation

The government has published its first food strategy in 75 years, in response to the independent review by its lead food adviser, Henry Dimbleby. Although the government has accepted some of the review’s recommendations, there is still a lot missing from the document, in particular the lack of acknowledgement on the need to reduce meat production and consumption to tackle the climate, nature and health crises.

How many people know that even if we ended fossil fuel use tomorrow, without making significant changes to our global food system, we would still be heading towards catastrophic levels of warming, far beyond 1.5 degrees?  

Eating Better went to Glasgow, primarily, to support our alliance member, Nourish Scotland’s Recipes for Resilience programme.

Eating Better is a supporter of the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration and attended the official presentation at Glasgow City Chambers on COP26 Nature Day.

Eating Better was in Glasgow for the first week of COP26, taking part in the Recipes for Resilience series of events hosted by alliance member, Nourish Scotland.

The National Food Strategy outlines a comprehensive plan to get us all eating better over the next decade, from a salt and sugar tax on processed foods to better support for farmers to move to more sustainable models, and teaching school children about food and how to cook.

Last year Unchecked UK carried out a  series of teleforums with swing voters in five “Red Wall’ constituencies that changed hands from Labour to Conservative in the December 2019 election. They explored how the constituents felt about regulation and standards in general, and specifically in relation to both food and climate change.

The UN COP26 climate talks held in the city later this year ‘must tackle food systems’ to get the world eating better and on track for net-zero.

Agriculture is the main threat to 86% of the 28,000 species known to be at risk of extinction, according to the new report from Chatham House,  supported by UNEP and Compassion in World Farming.

Eating Better Alliance organisations welcome National Food Strategy report but caution against the potential of a dual tariff system.

The analysis suggests that national guidelines could be both healthier and more sustainable.

Latest report by the Committee on Climate Change provides in-depth advice to Government on UK agricultural and land use policies.

The roadmap sets out steps to cut meat and dairy consumption by half in the UK by 2030, with a focus on less and better animal products.

We may remember 2019 as a year in which conversations about the environment, climate change change and meat became mainstream. But Brexit dominated our political dialogue. 2020 is a time for the UK to show leadership.

The European Commission has committed to launch the 'Farm to Fork' strategy for sustainable food. We share some of our insight from the National Food Strategy in the UK.

Eating Better calls for Government to deliver an ambitious cross-departmental food and farming strategy in response to call for evidence for first National Food Strategy in 75 years.

Solutions are available and diversification of food is a big one.

The Food Farming & Countryside Commission’s report – ‘Our Future in the Land’ should be on the top of ours and our new DEFRA Secretary’s summer reading lists.

The Eating Better Alliance has welcomed today’s launch of a 6-month review which will lead to the publication of a new National Food Strategy.

Why the government should encourage people to eat low-meat, planet-friendly diets if it is serious about cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

A blueprint for agriculture, food, environment and health policy for the EU and UK.

World Cancer Research Fund explain the link between red and processed meat and cancer.