The manifesto calls on all political parties and candidates to commit to making healthy and sustainable food available for all across the nation. The manifesto sets out five key areas for change, including:
- Make healthy and sustainable food affordable
- Stop the junk food cycle
- Invest in children’s diets
- Make it easier to eat sustainably
- Unleash the full potential of the food system
The Food Foundation is calling on all political parties to provide free school meals to all children, starting by increasing the eligibility criteria to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit, and auto-enrolling all eligible children, with the goal of providing universal free school meals.
A Food Foundation spokesperson said: “Food is a huge part of all of our lives. It nourishes us and it fuels us. It impacts our health, happiness and overall prosperity. Good food can help everyone to reach their full potential. What’s more, by producing our food sustainably we can shape our countryside and our landscapes, boosting biodiversity and restoring native wildlife.
“But the current food system is holding our nation back. Because it is so difficult to eat healthily, poor diet is now the biggest risk factor for preventable disease, placing massive strain on our NHS. The food we eat and how it is produced is also contributing to climate change which in turn is making our supply chains less resilient and prices more volatile.
“The food system has been changed before and it can be changed again. While there are some complex challenges to overcome, ensuring our food system is better able to nourish our nation and protect our planet remains an urgent priority for policymakers.”