Eating Better

Change needs to happen. If we continue with our current status quo and food system, then we can say goodbye to healthy food, clean air and water, and the seasons as we know them. With the weight of this pressure resting on our shoulders, for good reason many of us working on changing the food system in whatever form, are worried about getting it wrong. Fear of failure is a huge barrier to change, and reframing our approach might be an effective way to get a rare school of thought adopted more broadly; that change is possible. As the late David Graeber said, “The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently”.

Roshni Shah from Sustain and Idman Abdurahaman from Eating Better reflect on the content and learnings from our second workshop, and share resources to support further research.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) just published its 7th Carbon Budget (known as CB7). This set out the legal limit for UK net emissions of greenhouse gases over the years 2038 to 2042. It also contained the different options available for the UK Government to choose and the different ‘pathways’ to get to net-zero, with advice for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to be published later in 2025. This is a vitally important milestone in fixing our food system. But what does it all mean for healthy and sustainable diets?

A recent Telegraph article claims that young people are turning away from plant-based diets and rejecting the push to eat less meat using findings from our Public Attitudes Survey 2024. But is that really what’s happening?

Last month Sustain and Eating Better held the first of three workshops on ‘How to be an anti-racist organisation’ with the support of Social Justice Collective. The aim of the first workshop was to focus on self reflection and understanding as we know that a lack of confidence around language and terms is a barrier for people to engage with anti-racist practice.

For our final case study, we spotlight Nourish Scotland and examine how embracing dignity and justice, through co-creation and amplifying marginalised voices in decision-making, can transform food systems.

For years, the Landworkers Alliance has been organising identity-based groups to embed inclusivity and intersectionality in farming and landwork. The case study below highlights the impact these groups have had on members and how they have shaped the organisation's broader efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

In our commitment to fostering justice within the sustainable food sector, we’re turning to the inspiring work of our alliance members who are pioneering initiatives to create systemic change. Among these efforts, the REDI for Change Toolkit stands out as a groundbreaking resource, supporting organisations across the UK in dismantling oppression within food systems. In this blog, Ben Messer walks us through the purpose and transformative impact of integrating REDI for Change into the Sustainable Food Places programme, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable food future.

A just, diverse, equitable and inclusive (JEDI) food system is something which all Eating Better members aspire to see. But until we put these principles into practice in our own organisations we will not see the food system change.

Eating Better is pleased to welcome three new organisations to the alliance to strengthen the movement and bring expertise in farming, animal welfare, health and the environment.

We are excited to release the updated Better by Half Roadmap, Eating Better’s guide for achieving nutritious, healthy and sustainable diets across the UK, with a focus on less and better meat and dairy. This revision builds on its creation in 2019. It is a reflection of our shared objectives as an alliance, formed through collaboration between our 68 member organisations.

Eating Better’s Better by Half roadmap calls for producers to maximise UK-based plant production in a sustainable way. Key to this is paying growers fairly and embedding accessibility across the business. We spoke to Sean Ruffell, Managing Director of Organic North in Manchester, about how they are supporting farmers and supplying organic produce to businesses across the UK.

New data from Eating Better shows that retailers, food service and government need to catch up with public attitudes towards meat, dairy and supporting farmers.

A new UK Government was elected earlier this month, with the widely expected result of Labour replacing the Conservatives as the governing party and Keir Starmer becoming our new Prime Minister. This presents an exciting opportunity for a change in direction on UK food policy.

Through an ever-changing political landscape, global pandemics and groundbreaking climate agreements, Eating Better has been bringing together civil society to work towards a healthier and more sustainable food system for all.

Eating Better is pleased to welcome the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) to the Eating Better alliance.

Pulses are versatile, nutritious and delicious no matter your age. We spoke to First Steps Nutrition Trust about their new guidelines for South Asian cooking for children and how pulses are key to a balanced diet.

In the heart of Hackney, amidst the vibrant tapestry of cultures and communities, our plant-based charity doesn't just teach cooking classes; it empowers, educates, and nourishes, tackling food injustice and insecurity head-on. We spoke to Made in Hackney about how at the core of their mission lies a humble yet powerful ingredient: pulses.

On April 22nd, the Scottish Government’s consultation for a Good Food Nation plan closed. This consultation followed the passing of the Good Food Nation Act in 2022, where the Scottish Government put into law their vision for Scotland to be a ‘a Good Food Nation, where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day’. 

Eating Better is pleased to welcome seven organisations from a wide range of expertise to the alliance.

Pulses have been a source of protein and a staple ingredient across the globe for millenia. We spoke to Lina Saad, chef and cookbook author, about the link between healthy living and pulses in Lebanese cuisine.

It’s no secret that here at Eating Better we are buzzing about beans! ‘Anything is Pulse-able’ is a month-long campaign highlighting the benefits of beans, peas and lentils for our health, our pockets and our planet.

The way we farm is key to building and maintaining healthy and sustainable food systems in the UK. We spoke to Huw Foulkes of Pentrefelin about his farm in North Wales about how he is supplying pasture-fed meat and dairy to his local community.

For healthy and sustainable diets to become the norm in the UK, we need national policies that support our farmers, safeguard our environment, and ensure everyone has access to safe and nutritious food. But how well are the four governments across the UK tackling this challenge? Eating Better’s new resource shines a light on the current state of play.