A sugary drinks tax, the Children's Health Fund, and a new farming campaign were but a few of the successes for Sustain. Read Mike's reflections. Taken from the foreword to our 2016 Annual Report.
“This last year has been an excellent one for Sustain. It ended with the Chancellor of the Exchequer committing the Government to introduce a levy on sugary drinks. The Sustain alliance started putting a sugary drinks levy onto the national agenda in 2013, with our groundbreaking report ‘A Children’s Future Fund: How food duties could provide the money to protect children’s health and the world they grow up in’. We went on to work with Sustain members, Jamie Oliver and others to campaign for the levy and in particular to set up the Children’s Health Fund, to distribute the proceeds of a voluntary levy on sugary drinks in Jamie Oliver’s and other participating restaurants to pay for projects to improve children’s health. This was intended to show what the Government could do with the revenue from a compulsory levy. To see our 2013 proposals now translated into national policy is testament to the determination of our campaign team and members, and the impressive power of our alliance when we work together. This year also saw remarkable shifts in NHS policy in favour of healthier foods due to Sustain alliance members and our Campaign for Better Hospital Food. Financial incentives now encourage hospitals to serve better food to patients."
"We can take courage and energy from such successes and apply these to new challenges, such as our soon-to-be-launched sustainable farming campaign, championing ‘a million better jobs for better farming and land use’. This will seek to improve working and trading conditions for farmers and farm workers, at home and overseas. Farming needs to become a profession that is valued and supported by society for growing food and looking after the animals and natural environment that provide everyone’s sustenance – both physically and mentally.
This Annual Report does not cover the period of the EU Referendum. But we acknowledge here that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will have profound implications for the issues Sustain and our members work on. Some in our alliance, and some among progressive policy-makers and industry, are already seeing this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our food system. Others fear that food standards will be weakened. Sustain and our members will need to work ever harder to ensure that our shared values, vision, inspiration and practical solutions are centre stage.”
Professor Mike Rayner, Sustain’s Chair of the Council of Trustees
Taken from Sustain’s Annual Report, available for download here
Published Monday 16 January 2017
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
