National Food Strategy for England launched

29 Jul 2020

Henry Dimbley has launched the first part of the National Food Strategy for England.

In this first part he focuses on ‘urgent questions’ raised by the impact of Covid-19 and the EU exit. In particular he recommends:

• Expanding eligibility for free school meals

• Increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers. He also comments on initiative by two retailers to offer free fruit and vegetables to supplement the vouchers.

• Cutting tariffs in future UK trade deals on products which meet the UK’s ‘core standards’.

• Independent scrutiny of proposed new trade agreements.

Dimbleby recognises the importance of global trade and multiple sourcing to maintain food security.

Dimbley comments: “The Government should give itself a statutory duty to commission an independent report on all proposed trade agreements, assessing their impact on economic productivity; food safety and public health; the environment and climate change; society and labour; human rights; and animal welfare. This report would be presented alongside a Government response when any final trade treaty is laid before Parliament. Sufficient time must be guaranteed for the discussion of these documents in the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and by the relevant select committees.”

You can find a summary of the report and the full report here.

The second part of the Strategy will be published in 2021 and aims to set out a blueprint for a future food system in England.