Why are over 100 organisations urging new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to treat food as a national priority alongside defence and energy?

Over 100 organisations, including major retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's and dairy producer Danone, warn that 'the next food shock is not a question of if, but when' due to repeated disruptions, rising farm costs, climate change, and nature loss—pressures driving food prices forecast to be 50% higher by November 2024 than at the start of the UK's cost of living crisis in 2021; they urge Burnham to urgently introduce a 'Good Food Bill' to improve food security, resilience, and public health.

What key goals would the proposed 'Good Food Bill' aim to achieve according to the letter organised by the Food Foundation?

The proposed 'Good Food Bill' would establish a legal framework for UK food policy, including targets to reduce childhood obesity, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, boost the proportion of food grown domestically, and cut household food insecurity—responding to record levels of diet-related disease and the exposed fragility of the UK's food system amid European wildfires and heightened geopolitical tensions.

New UK PM Burnham Urged to Prioritize Food Alongside Defence and Energy

Jul 29, 2026

Over 100 organizations, including Tesco and Danone, urged new UK PM Andy Burnham to prioritize food security via a new bill, citing forecasts of 50% price hikes and systemic fragility.

reuters

2026-07-29

New UK PM Burnham Urged to Prioritize Food Alongside Defence and Energy

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