Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming

We advocate food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.

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Act now for healthier, fairer farm policy

Brexit: Food, Farming and Fishing

What's at risk? What are the opportunities?

Take action

London Food Link is asking local authorities to lead the way in taking action on sugar reduction and healthier foods.

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News Publications & Articles

Let’s make London the first UK city to go pesticide-free!

Join Pesticides Action Network UK in calling for a Pesticide Free London

20/04/2018
London Food Link

Freshly baked or freshly faked: Who’s protecting shoppers?

The Real Bread Campaign is warning shoppers buying industrial loaves advertised using claims of freshness that they might not be getting what they expect.

19/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Watch Sustain in sugary drinks tax documentary

Watch Sustain's Deputy CEO, Ben Reynolds, in action in a 25 minute TV roundtable that explored the UK's Soft Drinks Industry Levy, and other policy action to reduce sugar. 

19/04/2018
Children's Food Campaign

The future of meat

Back in 2017, the then London Food Board Chair, Rosie Boycott, chatted to research scientist and food campaigner Abi Glencross.

19/04/2018
Jellied Eel

Eight principles for eating meat and dairy

Eating Better have written a practical guide for how to navigate ethically eating meat and dairy. They also provide a guide for de-coding labels.

19/04/2018

Food is a critical issue for Northern Ireland and Brexit, say food inspectors

The absence of serious consideration of food flows into, out of and through Northern Ireland is a significant policy omission in the ongoing Brexit negotiations, argue Professor Tim Lang and authors from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

19/04/2018
Brexit

Trades unions express concern over workers rights in the EU Withdrawal Bill

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is concerned the EU Withdrawal Bill will not provide any effective protection for workers’ rights. Instead it would provide UK Ministers “with wide-ranging powers to repeal, dilute or limit hard-won employment rights”.  

19/04/2018
Brexit

Planet Organic launches 100% vegan online shop

Shop vegan at the click of a finger…going green just got easier.

19/04/2018
Jellied Eel

ASA Bans Pret's 'natural food' ads

In response to a Real Bread Campaign complaint, on 18 April 2018 the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Pret A Manger advertising products as ‘natural’ is misleading.

18/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Public health bodies call on Government to 'do no harm'

The Faculty of Public Health and a coalition of public health groups, including Sustain, are supporting a Lords amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, called the ‘Do No Harm’ amendment, and tabled by Crossbench Peer Lord Warner.

18/04/2018
Brexit

Brexit requires a 4-nation approach to UK environment, farming and fisheries

The Institute for Government has published a report on Devolution after Brexit, 'Managing the environment, agriculture and fisheries', recommending changes to the way the governments of the four UK nations interact and make decisions.

18/04/2018
Brexit

Fisheries and environment at risk from not-so-green Brexit

Friends of the Earth is warning of risks to fish and the environment from a not-so-green Brexit, following an analysis of likely scenarios by Sheffield University.

18/04/2018
Brexit

Letter to the FT on new EU proposals for stronger food supply chain regulation to avoid unfair trading practices

Sustain, along with the Tenant Farmers Association, Traidcraft and the Moore Stephens Food Advisory group, published a letter in the FT on 18 April 2018. This touched on the proposed European Directive to curb Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) in the EU food supply chain and why we need such measures in the UK so all farmers and suppliers are better protected against UTPs.

18/04/2018

Scottish Government urged to support carbon-neutral farming

Farming and environmental groups have written to Scottish Cabinet Secretaries for Climate Change and the Rural Economy, calling on the Scottish Government to use the new Climate Bill to drive a just transition to a carbon-neutral, resilient farming sector by 2050 at the latest.

18/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

More farmland across the world now certified as sustainable

The area of land around the world growing LEAF Marque certified crops increased last year by 6% to almost 400,000 hectares.

17/04/2018
Agri-Food Network

Iceland ditching palm oil to save orangutans

The frozen food retailer is the first major UK supermarket to pledge to remove palm oil from its own brand products in an attempt to halt the destruction of tropical rainforests.

17/04/2018
Food and climate change

Jamie Oliver launches #AdEnough campaign

As the government looks to update its child obesity strategy, the Children's Food Campaign and Sustain have joined forces with Jamie Oliver, in a new #AdEnough campaign to curb junk food marketing, featuring selfies with covered eyes - the only effective ad-blocker children currently have.

16/04/2018
Children's Food Campaign

Finders fee for English speaking farmworkers

A labour body has introduced a £200 fee for finding people who speak good English as competition for seasonal agricultural workers grows.

16/04/2018
Brexit

European Commission moves to ban unfair food chain systems

Friends of the Earth welcome the European Commission proposal to ban damaging practices in the food supply chain to give farmers and small businesses more certainty.

16/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Farmers ‘accepting mess’ and happy to use agroecology

A social science study into a group of British farmers who ‘redesigned’ their farms to agroecological practices shows they benefited both practically and emotionally to sustainable agriculture.

16/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Grants of up to £300,000 for farms, shops and community hubs

Grants between £50,000 to £300,000 are available for community businesses in England from the Power to Change Trust’s £10million fund.

16/04/2018

Labour commits to junk food ad ban and extension of sugary drinks tax

Sustain has welcomed commitments from shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth that a future Labour Government would introduce legal standards for hospital food, extend the sugary drinks tax and ban junk food advertising during family TV, for the benefit of the nation's health.

13/04/2018
Children's Food Campaign

Labour pledges new legal standards for hospital food

Today, the Labour Party’s Shadow Health Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, will announce a new commitment that a future Labour government would place hospital food standards on the same legal basis as school food standards.

12/04/2018
Better Hospital Food

Unearth London’s hidden edible gardens – your chance to join the Big Dig

On Saturday 21 April community gardeners from more than 40 of London’s edible gardens, will welcome new visitors and show them how to grow their own food.

12/04/2018
Capital Growth

Real Bread bakeries commit to slicing loaf surplus

Having published the No Loaf Lost guide in January 2018, the Real Bread Campaign can now announce the names of the first ten bakeries to sign the No Loaf Lost pledge to slice loaf surplus and waste.

11/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Will Government's new planning framework create sustainable food cities?

The proposed revisions to the planning policy framework for England are open for consultation. But are the proposals a missed opportunity for a more sustainable food system?

11/04/2018
Planning Food Cities

Defra Secretary, Michael Gove talks of human health objectives in farm policy

At the consultation event co-hosted with Sustain and DEFRA on 10 April 2018, Michael Gove, Defra Secretary of State urged people to take advantage of the Defra consultation on Future Farming to 'make it clear what you want’ saying “I want a food and farming policy that reflects what the people in the country want – higher standards and better outcomes.” and noted the need to “stop it being shaped by vested interests to imprint their agenda.”

11/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Solace in the city

Mary Selzer looks ahead to what you can expect from the 7th annual Big Dig Day on 21 April 2018. 

11/04/2018
Jellied Eel

True Loaf spring 2018 issue out now

The Real Bread Campaign has published issue 35 of the loaf lovers’ magazine.

09/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Sustain co-hosts a consultation event with Defra on future farm policy

DEFRA, in partnership with Sustain, is hosting a consultation event in London on 10 April to capture local and member viewpoints on its public consultation: ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment’

09/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Positive effects of sugary drinks tax already being seen

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) welcomes the Soft Drinks Industry Levy saying that it has successfully encouraged manufacturers to reduce sugar in their products.

06/04/2018
Sugary Drinks Duty

Milk from certified grass fed cows now available

Pasture for Life have started to certify dairy farmers who produce milk from cows that only ever eat grass and pasture.

06/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Animal welfare charity seeks to shame Sainsbury’s over chicken standards

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) launch ‘Shamesbury’s’ campaign and say that the supermarket has abandoned their promises over chicken welfare.

06/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

End Hunger UK Poetry Challenge

The End Hunger UK campaign, along with the Poetry Society and the Young poets network are inviting young people to enter their poetry challenge.

05/04/2018

UK introduces Sugary Drinks Tax - Sustain response

This Friday, 6 April 2018, sees the Government introduce its Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Read on for a comment from Sustain who have led a coalition of campaigning for this over the last five years. 

05/04/2018
Children's Food Campaign

Sugary drinks ban looms for NHS hospitals

NHS England faced criticism yesterday after releasing figures that showed one third of hospitals had failed to sign up to their initiative to reduce sugary drinks sales. Read Sustain's response.

05/04/2018
Better Hospital Food

White flour and up to 26 items on industrial wholemeal loaf ingredient lists

An investigation by the Real Bread Campaign has found up to 26 ingredients and additives, including refined flour, on the ingredient lists of wholemeal loaves manufactured by nine of the UK’s largest industrial loaf fabicators.

05/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

British Library cooks up post-Brexit food policy debate

Join Hungry City author Carolyn Steel, Guardian journalist Felicity Lawrence, RSPB biodiversity specialist Lucy Bjorck and Kath Dalmeny of Sustain for an evening of debate on the future of our food system, post-Brexit.

05/04/2018
Brexit

Real Bread Campaign followers have their say

In late 2017, the Real Bread Campaign invited its supporters and friends to share their views on why they joined, how things are going and what direction it should take now. Our survey said…

05/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Obesity-related hospital admissions rise by 18 per cent

There were 617,000 hospital admissions where obesity was listed as a primary or secondary diagnosis in 2016-17. This is 18 per cent more than the 524,725 admitted in 2015-16, according to the NHS Digital data released yesterday. Read the response from the Campaign for Better Hospital Food.

05/04/2018
Better Hospital Food

How the sugary drinks tax was won

With the introduction of the Government’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy – commonly known as the Sugary Drinks Tax – this report reflects on the campaign and coalition of charities and champions that made it happen. 

05/04/2018
Children's Food Campaign

124 million people in 51 countries are in ‘food crisis’

The Global Food Crisis Report shows rise in the amount of people starving. The areas most in need are north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan, where nearly 32 million people were food-insecure and in need of urgent assistance.

05/04/2018
Food Poverty

People with diabetes want all companies to use same clear food labelling

A survey by Diabetes UK found that 73% of respondents want cafes, restaurants and takeaways to use traffic light labelling.

05/04/2018
Food Facts

Future of Farming conference 27-28 April 2018

Book your ticket now for the Future of Farming conference, run by the Sustainable Food Trust and featuring talks by Secretary of State for Defra Michael Gove and NFU President Minette Batters, among many others.

05/04/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Vote for our next sustainable fish action

Sustainable Fish Cities wants to know who you would like to see serving sustainable fish. The campaign is inviting the public to vote on the next steps by completing an online poll.

04/04/2018
Sustainable Fish Cities

Australia to demand Britain accepts hormone‑treated beef

Australia is reportedly set to demand that Britain imports hormone-treated beef under a post-Brexit trade deal. Hormone-treated beef has been banned for years from all EU countries on safety grounds.

04/04/2018
Brexit

Government announces £2 million for holiday activity and food provision pilot programmes

Applications are open until 18 April for projects in England that will benefit disadvantaged families during the 2018 summer holidays.

03/04/2018
Food Poverty

Real Bread recognised by BBC Food and Farming Awards

Two Real Bread Campaign supporters have been selected by judges as finalists in the Best Food Producer and Best Shop or Market categories of the annual awards.

03/04/2018
Real Bread Campaign

New Brexit Think Tank to lobby for consumer protection

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is setting up a new think tank to consider the enormous implications of Brexit on trading standards  

03/04/2018
Brexit

GM Freeze coordinate formal objection to GM field trial

26 organisations including scientists, farmers, retailers and environmentalists lodge a formal objection to the open field trial of genetically engineered oilseed at Rothamsted Research.

30/03/2018
Food and Farming Policy

Join public health advocates in calling for an end to football partnerships with junk food brands

Major football associations, leagues and one in four Premier League clubs have partnerships with junk food companies, including chocolate and sugary drinks brands. Take action to ask football to drop junk food partnerships for good.

29/03/2018
Sugar Smart UK

Food Power offers financial support to 26 alliances across UK

Since launching the new programme seven months ago, Food Power is proud to have awarded funding to support alliances tackling the root causes of food poverty from Belfast to Brighton.

29/03/2018
Food Power

Win a FREE ad in The Jellied Eel summer issue worth up to £300

London Food Link supporters have a lightning draw opportunity to win an ad slot in the June-August 2018 issue of The ‘Eel, the capital’s good food magazine.  

29/03/2018
Jellied Eel

Help London Food Link call for local authority action on sugar reduction and healthier foods

Ask your London local public health leaders to sign the Local Government Declaration on Sugar Reduction and Healthier Food and to run a local Sugar Smart campaign

28/03/2018
London Food Link

Calls for Sugary Drinks Tax to pay for new wave of school drinking fountains

The Children’s Health Fund, which pioneered the Sugary Drinks Levy in the UK is calling for some of the Government’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy which starts on April 6 2018 to go towards a new wave of school drinking water fountains.  

28/03/2018
Children's Health Fund

Sustain members ‘delighted’ by plastic deposit return scheme announcement

The government announces plans for a deposit return scheme for bottles following a long campaign by a coalition of Sustain members.

28/03/2018
Food and climate change

How schools can get cash from sugary drinks

Government lets schools know how to get funding from the money raised through the sugary drinks levy.

27/03/2018
Children's Food Campaign

65 per cent increase in antibiotic use worldwide

Calls to reduce antibiotic use as new research finds huge increase in their use - mostly in poorer nations.

27/03/2018
Save Our Antibiotics

Academy of Change applications now open

The Academy of Change is a professional development programme for NGOs active in sustainability and climate change. The Academy programme aims to build skills in getting target groups to follow more sustainable behaviour.

27/03/2018
Children's Food Campaign

Quench your thirst for free in London

The Mayor of London has partnered with Refill London on a new project to cut plastic waste and encourage Londoners to drink tap water.

26/03/2018
Jellied Eel

Meet London’s first 50 Urban Food Heroes using food for good

Following the launch during Urban Food Fortnight 2017, we are delighted to be able to finally share with you our first 50 Urban Food Heroes. These are people and enterprises that grow, cook, make and save food and, ultimately, are making London a better place through their amazing ventures.

19/03/2018
Jellied Eel

Roots To Work: The brewer Jaega Wise

Find out what first got London Food Link supporter and head brewer at Walthamstow's Wild Card Brewery, Jaega Wise, into brewing beer.

12/03/2018
Jellied Eel

No Loaf Lost

The surplus reduction guide to help small bakeries save dough.

10/01/2018
Real Bread Campaign

Fishy Business

How well are the UK’s top contract caterers supporting ocean conservation through their sustainable fish buying policies and practices?

18/12/2017
Sustainable Fish Cities

Annual report 2016/17

Read the review of Sustain’s activities and achievements for this financial year.

24/11/2017

Good Food for London 2017

The Good Food for London report measures progress and encourages London councils to take action on good food. It measures action on 11 different good food measures, from food growing, encouraging breastfeeding, school food, Fairtrade and fair pay. Scores range from 88 to 13 per cent. The Good Food for London league table 2017 is topped by the London Borough of Greenwich, followed by Islington, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Waltham Forest.

13/10/2017
London Food Link

Beyond the Food Bank London Food Poverty Profile 2017

Beyond the Food Bank 2017 is the third edition of London’s comprehensive food poverty profile. The report looks at what local authorities are doing to reduce food poverty across a range of measures. 

13/10/2017
Food Poverty

Beyond 2020 - New farm policy

Sustain presents principles and policies that would deliver better food and farming when we leave the European Common Agriculture Policy.

31/05/2017
Food and Farming Policy

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Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming

Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.

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