'I want to live in a country that's proud to feed children well': Sustain CEO at Labour conference

Sustain CEO Kath Dalmeny joined an expert panel this past Monday 29 September to speak on Labour's Food Strategy.

She was joined by Anna Taylor from The Food Foundation; David Njoku, Food Strategy Citizen Advisory Council; Sue Pritchard from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission; and former food and farming minster Daniel Zeichner MP. 

Kath was asked:

How does Sustain and wider civil society view the actions this Labour government must take to ensure the food system works as we need it to? 

Here is her response: 

"When a food system is thriving, it ensures that children and older people are well fed; that farmers can make a decent living; and every household can buy affordable, fresh, healthy food, readily available in their neighbourhood.  

More than that, a thriving food system cultivates community. Good food is about more than a meal. It’s about the people you welcome to your table; the feeling of security when your cupboard is full; and the pride in supporting farmers who look after our national assets of soil, climate, water and nature. 

But our food system isn’t thriving. Farmers in tractors are protesting outside this conference not just due to inheritance tax. That felt like a last straw. Farmers have been on the brunt end of big supermarkets and manufacturers relentlessly squeezing down on prices, unfair trading practices and uncertainty in government farm support.  

The food system isn’t thriving, because so many families can’t afford to put a meal on the table, due to inadequate incomes. And the food that is affordable and is ubiquitous tends to be the least healthy, contributing to avoidable, life-limiting disease.  

This hasn’t happened by accident. It’s the result of political choices. 

These are all things that policy and government can fix. I work with the people and organisations who know how: farmers, public health teams, local authorities, schools and communities striving in places across the country - and campaigning together at national level - to try and make things better.  

Some good steps have been taken by Labour in its first year of office. Let’s give credit to this government for extending free school meals to all families on universal credit; for committing to a local authority Crisis Resilience Fund to help local people access what they need; and for increasing Healthy Start to help babies and toddlers to eat well. Previous governments introduced the sugary drinks tax, and controls on junk food marketing.  

The trouble is, most of this policy is insecure, piecemeal and prone to stop-start changes in government.  

The ‘Good Food Cycle’ policy paper, published in July, was a welcome start by the government on its Food Strategy: it set out a vision for a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient food system and 10 priority outcomes.  

Labour has promised a Food Strategy action plan in the spring: this must be comprehensive and accompanied with concrete policy announcements.  

What our members witness is that key institutions and decision-makers at all levels tend to step up to address short-term food crisis, but feel no duty to make the plans needed to make the food system resilient longer term.  

There are lots of people and institutions in the food system who have key roles to play – in national government, local authorities, food businesses, farming and civil society.  

We need to create those duties and opportunities, for the Food Strategy to be a success and to create further impetus for change.  

This Labour Government should commit to new primary legislation. A new Food Bill would demonstrate its ambition by putting in place the food system impact targets and the long-term levers that will support the cross-government action needed to transform the food system for future generations. 

This should be a country where we can be proud that all children are well-fed, where farmers make a decent living and can restore nature, and where everyone feels that belly-deep certainty of a secure and affordable food supply. 

That is within our reach – but only if Labour seizes this moment. And if we all act to make the vision of a Britain fed fairly a reality for everyone."

Sustain's calls to action

• Be part of the push for the important policy wins we need in this term of government to make our food system fairer and to secure the big prize: legislation that can lock in change and shield progress from political cycles. 

• Get involved with an organisation working to make the food system fair – you can sign up to our newsletter at sustainweb dot org – or just search ‘Sustain’, ‘Food’ and ‘Farming’ to find us - to get connected on the action agenda and join campaigns run by groups like Sustain and our members. 

• Raise your voice in the Party, champion good food locally where you live and be part of keep the pressure on nationally.