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Deliver a cross-departmental food and farming strategy

Policies that impact food and farming should be connected across government. They should contain an explicit commitment to less and better meat and dairy and healthy, sustainable diets.

A better food environment for people needs a more holistic, inclusive approach to policy making. What we eat and agriculture are essential parts of achieving net zero emission commitments

Government should develop a cross-sectoral food and farming strategy.  Currently, developing policies which impact on food in separate departments makes integrated action very difficult, and leaves key levers for change beyond the access of relevant decision makers. Moreover, a lack of transparency over which food-related policy areas are being dealt with by which parts of government means food actors outside government may have difficulty engaging.

Government should develop a cross-sectoral food strategy that brings together ministries with shared interests and sets strategic targets on key issues. It should also provide a framework for integration across government and beyond. 

Measurable and attributable targets should be set for: climate change, obesity, nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NRNCD), food security, biodiversity, pollution control and land use change.

The new food strategy should:

  • Promote to people a clear definition of what healthy sustainable diets are and deliver it through dietary guidelines. Messaging about sustainability within the dietary guidelines should be explicit, and include clear targets for meat and dairy reduction.
  • Ensure people have access to a healthy sustainable diet that is affordable. Require that any new policies, or trade deals, embed people’s right to a healthy and sustainable diet and are assessed for the impact they would have on access to it.
  • Embed a requirement for promoting sustainable production and consumption across government. Place responsibility for delivering strategic targets within individual government departments.