by Marion Nestle
Nov 29 2024

This Week’s Report #3: Food Foundation’s State of the UK’s Food Industry

From the report’s introduction

THE UK’S FOOD SYSTEM ISN’T WORKING. It is unsustainable, unhealthy, and unfair. Deep rooted power imbalances mean that profits and power are concentrated in the middle of the food chain, leaving farmers and citizens feeling the squeeze. Among the poorest fifth of the population, households with children would need to spend 70% of their disposable income on food just to afford the government’s recommended healthy diet….

Diet, overweight and obesity are now the biggest risk factor for preventable death and disability in the UK…growing numbers of farmers and growers are struggling to make a living, with 61% of British farmers saying they are likely to give up their farm in the next 18 months….This is arguably an example of market failure – a predictable outcome of a food system where the governing rules mean there is currently little incentive for companies to sell healthy and sustainable foods.

It makes these points with  data.

I like this one too.

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