Will Government take the chance to deliver on its promises?
Food and Drink Technology
A Bell Publishing publication providing the food & drink manufacturing industry with the latest news and developments.
There are plenty of demands placed on any government when it comes to power, driven by the weight of expectations.
When you talk, you have to deliver; even an inference has consequences.
The Labour government aims to improve the UK’s food system by making it more sustainable, equitable, and healthier. Plenty of individuals and companies want to see change. They believe that if we get our food system right, it can boost health and wellbeing, employment, education, the environment, the economy, and help address inequalities.
Access to food is a major driver of health inequalities in the UK. The Labour Government has a manifesto commitment to halve the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas of the country.
Work has started with a food strategy, and part of that, no doubt, will be a plentiful supply of sustainable proteins.
New analysis sheds light on a sizeable injection of ￡75m towards the development of sustainable proteins. This sum represents 60% of the ￡125m investment recommended by Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy in 2021, which noted that alternative proteins could help the UK cut emissions by lowering meat consumption, and boost the economy via the creation of 10,000 manufacturing jobs.
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The UK is no longer at risk of falling behind other countries in the protein transition, and Food and environment secretary Steve Reed has indicated that he is “interested in building on the work that Henry Dimbleby started” and pledged to work with the food sector to develop the new national food strategy in the first half of the year.
Well, the time is coming to deliver on the interest, engage with the food sector and use the forthcoming national food strategy as a springboard to build on the work that has already taken place. It would be a great if we see development of the policy, regulatory, scientific and commercial landscape needed to accelerate protein diversification rather than rounds of speeches and well-meaning words.
A foundation is in place. This is a tremendous opportunity, as GFI Europe states, to boost food security, drive green growth and create new opportunities for food and drink producers.
Action would finally make me believe that the government means it when it says it wants to improve the lot for the next generation.
Let’s see change for the better and for Government to put its legislative pen in place where its mouth is.