Food is about people, and we are providing a space to reconnect right along the supply chain. Farmers (whose confidence levels are at an all-time low) and supermarkets are often cast as enemies. Manufacturers can be caught in the middle. Foodservice can be forgotten altogether. The public and politicians often seem to be outside looking in. The system is broken, and we are struggling to fix it.
Everyone has a role to play – and right away. Joining forces amplifies impact and drives meaningful change, that’s why we’re proud to now partner with the Food Foundation.
Anna Taylor is Executive Director at The Food Foundation, find out what she wants to see from businesses.
Why has your organisation become a Strategic Partner of Future Food Movement?
“At The Food Foundation, our focus is on improving citizens’ access to healthy and sustainable diets. We work by building and synthesising strong evidence, shaping powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and driving progress with impactful communications. We wanted to join the Future Food Movement to have the opportunity to join a community of likeminded organisations, share our expertise on healthy and sustainable diets and collaborate on driving food system change.”
Where should companies be focusing their efforts when it comes to investing in the next generation of doers and leaders?
“Leaders of the future need to be resilient and adaptable to change. The climate crisis is going to have increasingly significant impacts on food production and supply chains and we will need to be prepared in order to both protect and improve our access to nutritious food.
Leaders of the future will need to have a much stronger focus on social value, even when this affects stakeholder value. The challenges which the food system is contributing to – in terms of inequalities, poor health and environmental degradation are rapidly mounting. It will no longer be possible for companies to behave as if these impacts are not their responsibility.”
If you could give one piece of advice to the food industry leaders of tomorrow, what would it be?
“Imagine a very different future where the food system delivers a good set of outcomes for our society and our planet.”
What would you say are the biggest challenges facing your organisation, and the food industry in general?
“The UK is sorely lacking a clear direction of travel for its food system and the businesses within it. The absence of government action and unwillingness to intervene in the food system is impeding business progress by failing to provide a level playing field. Big shifts in the food environment can only be achieved by shifting the incentives and standards in the system within which businesses operate, for which the government is responsible.
This lack of intervention and regulation from government has had a noticeable impact on business performance this year. Companies are delaying moving to set new commitments until the government establishes frameworks and metrics, and give a clear signal that they are committed to the healthy and sustainable diet agenda. Until there is some much-needed government leadership, it is unlikely we will see any sector wide changes at the scale and pace required. However, more action from food businesses is absolutely needed. Real change can be made when businesses show leadership and set examples for others to follow.
To shift the dial on diets, businesses must have standards in place that enable them to be more transparent and disclose the proportion of sales that come from healthier and more sustainable foods. For example, by reporting on sales of HFSS foods, fruit and vegetables, and types of protein by source (animal versus plant), as well as setting SMART targets for reducing or increasing sales of these types of foods. Board-level accountability for the targets that are being set is also key in ensuring they are met.
Businesses can act as a negative drag on the policy process by lobbying against policy proposals when they emerge. We would like to see fewer businesses doing this, and more businesses articulating the need for government intervention and welcoming changes. With the upcoming election this year, it is particularly important that businesses speak up about the changes they want to see from a future government.”
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