- Veg Summit Series

The Peas Please Veg Summit Series will explore the role of veg as a part of this transition, showcasing examples of best practice, considering ways in which policymakers can support the transition, and celebrating all things veg.

Join us this June for a series of events and activities across all four UK nations, hosted by the Peas Please partnership.

9th March 2021 - WEBINAR: A Crisis within a Crisis: Food Insecurity and Covid-19

27th January 2021 - Food Cities 2022 Launch

12th November 2020 - Plating Up Progress WEBINAR: how can investors, businesses and governments build towards a healthier and more sustainable food industry post-pandemic?

12th October 2020 - VEG FEST: a week long e-conference celebrating all things Veg!

Veg Fest, the Peas Please 2020 e-conference brought to you by the Food Foundation, Food Sense Wales, Nourish Scotland, Food NI, Belfast food Network, Veg Power and Veg Cities. 

WEBINAR: “Yes We Can” – Getting hot food back on the menu in September

15th July 2020 - WEBINAR: What next for children’s food?

8th July 2020 - WEBINAR: ‘Hungry for Change: A briefing from Lord Krebs on the final report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment’

25th June 2020 - Webinar: COVID-19 – an opportunity or a crisis for food system transformation at the city level?

Food Foundation Covid-19 food insecurity WEBINAR SERIES

17th June 2019 - Peas Please Northern Ireland Launch

The Peas Please initiative launched at the Balmoral Show on May 17^th with new Northern Ireland veg pledgers.

5th June 2019 - Peas Please Pledger Event

On June 5^th, Peas Please hosted its second Pledger Event in Manchester. The conference brought together the full range of Peas Please pledgers to hear from each other about how they are progressing with their pledges, and how their innovative approaches are working to drive up vegetable intake across the UK.

23rd May 2019 - Scotland Launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry

The fourth and final launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry report was held on May 23^rd  2019 and was led by the Scotland Young Food Ambassadors.

2nd May 2019 - Wales Launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry

The Wales launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry report was held on May 2^nd 2019 with the First Minister Mark Drakeford AM and the Wales Young Food Ambassadors.

30th April 2019 - Northern Ireland Launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry

The second launch of the Children’s Future Food Inquiry report was held on April 30^th  2019 in Northern Ireland with the Young Food Ambassadors for NI.

25th April 2019 - Children’s Future Food Inquiry final report launch (Invitation only)

The Food Foundation will be launching the Children’s Future Food Inquiry on the 25th of April 2019 at Westminster. This Inquiry focuses on the food situation of children living in poverty across the UK.  It draws on a wide variety of evidence but places a central focus on listening directly to school-aged children about their experiences. The report has been drawn from evidence across the UK in all 4 nations and contains several recommendations which we will be announcing at the event.

27th February 2019 - The Broken Plate Launch

The Broken Plate is the Food Foundation’s annual “State of the Nation’s Food Health” reporting on 10 key metrics (or vital signs) by which the health outcomes of the food system can be measured. We have a special focus on children and the impact of their current diets on their health trajectory. These vital signs will be published every year to assess progress or deterioration.

11th December 2018 - ‘Question Time’: Children’s Future Food Inquiry listening event

Fixers and the Food Foundation will invite the Children’s Future Food Inquiry committee, parliamentarians and key stakeholders to hear directly from young people about their lived experience of food poverty, and to ask questions about their solutions.

22nd November 2018 - Guys and St Thomas’s Healthy Returns Round Table

At the roundtable the insights from ‘Healthy Returns’, a new report was shared, which looks at the opportunities for market-based solutions to childhood obesity. Produced by the Food Foundation, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Joseph Gridley, ‘Healthy Returns’ uses new analysis to understand the purchasing habits of lower income families and draws on examples from the UK and abroad to explore the opportunities and challenges for innovative challenger brands in providing access to nutritious, affordable food and in tackling child obesity.

1st November 2018 - Brexit Food Conference

Food Brexit brought together speakers from top industry organisations from across the world. The Food Foundation Executive Director Anna Taylor spoke about challenges posed by Brexit to food security in the UK.

End Hunger UK/Feeding Britain Conference

End Hunger UK hosted the second national conference at Central Hall, Westminster on World Food Day, October 16^th 2018, to discuss the growing movement around household food insecurity in the UK. We attended to speak about the submissions of lived experiences.

8th October 2018 - The Vegetable Summit 2018

25th July 2018 - TUCO Conference 2018

The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) conference will be held at the University of Hull on 25th of July 2018.  The conference theme this year ‘Yesterday, today, tomorrow’ will bring an eventful few days of first-class knowledge, inspiration and exposure to new product innovation for caterers and foodservice professionals alike.

9th July 2018 - Fruit and Vegetable Alliance Launch

The Fruit and Vegetable Alliance was launched on the 9th July to mark the beginning of a coordinated drive to boost production and consumption of fruit and vegetables in the UK in order to improve public health. It brings together representatives from across the sector to develop a vision for edible horticulture that reflects the health needs of the population and is supported by the Government.

25th May 2018 - Natural History Museum Late

Discover how our diets are affecting our planet, biodiversity and our long-term health. This interactive display explores everyday foods and the global food system that produces them.

16th April 2018 - Food Poverty Conference 2018

Research on the issue of food insecurity has grown significantly in recent years. Drs Rachel Loopstra and Hannah Lambie-Mumford will be hosting the first-ever national research conference on household food insecurity.  This 2-day conference will feature presentations from researchers across the UK on a variety of topics.

28th March 2018 - The Impact Of Social And Economic Inequalities On Children’s Health

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood is launching a new report on ‘The Impact Of Social And Economic Inequalities On Children’s Health’  followed by a discussion on PHE’s new calorie reduction programme and the Food Foundation’s work on child poverty and obesity.

15th March 2018 - Peas Please Pledgers Conference (invitation only)

This one-day, invitation only, conference brings together the trailblazing pledgers from the 2017 Peas Please Vegetable Summit and new potential pledgers who are getting ready to secure their commitments.

15th March 2018 - Convenience Retail Awards 2018

Peas Please have worked with the Association of Convenience Stores to develop criteria and choose the finalists for the best fresh produce retailer for the Convenience Retail Awards.

We will be attending the awards ceremony on the 15th March to announce the winner.

14th March 2018 - Nutrition Smart Cities (Invitation only)

This invitation only workshop style event, convened by the Birmingham Smart City Alliance is part of a new city partnership between Birmingham and Pune city in India.  The project is called BINDI – the Birmingham India Nutrition Initiative and the workshop will explore key approaches to support the development of the project.

Find out more about the project here.

7th March 2018 - Horticulture Strategy Forum (Invitation Only)

The Soil Association, Landworkers’ Alliance and the Food Foundation are hosting a meeting to explore how organisations representing organic and agroecological, small and medium scale growers can work together to get a better deal for ecological/organic and small scale horticulture at this time of opportunity.

4th January 2018 - Oxford Real Farming Conference

The 2018 Oxford Real Farming Conference will be held in the Oxford Town Hall on 4th & 5th January. As always, this unique gathering of the UK’s sustainable and organic food and farming movements will offer a practical mix of on-farm advice, showcasing new techniques for best practice in agroecological farming, as well as broader discussions on what needs to change to create real change in the food system. Dr Courtney Scott from the Food Foundation will be participating in a session organised by Sustain that focuses on public benefits from public funds, and will be presenting the connections between agriculture and public health.

11th December 2017 - Regional Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition

Following on from the 2016 FAO/WHO International Symposium on Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Improved Nutrition, the FAO held a series of Regional symposium in 2017. At the symposium organised by the Regional office for the Near East and North Africa, held in Muscat, Oman in December, Dr Courtney Scott presented the Keynote Address, outlining how the food system approach can be used to improve diets and nutrition. The symposium was in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, WFP, the League of Arab States, and IFPRI.

To find out more click here.

22nd November 2017 - Farming for the Future of 5-a-day

As the future of UK agricultural policy will be debated and decided in this Parliament, now is the moment to make public funds work for public good by joining-up agriculture and health policy. And while we know fruit and vegetables are essential to health, we simply are not consuming enough, nor is horticulture fully understood and valued in agricultural policy.

Join parliamentarians and experts for a panel discussion on securing the future of the 5-a-day through agricultural policy.

21st November 2017 - Brakes UK Child Food Insecurity Forum

Brakes Meals & More initative goes beyond supporting holiday clubs into harnessing the support of the business sector to do more to tackle UK Child Food Insecurity and child poverty.  They aim to unite the food industry, third sector parties, communities and government agencies to ensure our next generation are food secure, thriving and able to reach their full potential.

This event will hear from MPs, Academics, civil society and industry on commitments to tackle childhood food insecurity.

17th November 2017 - LACA Spring Business Seminar

This annual seminar will include a session on the possible implications of Brexit on the food and drink sector, the rise in Multi Academy Trusts and what this may mean for school caterers and suppliers to the market and the concluding results of the Secondary School makeover project following the official opening of the school’s dining room.

Dr Courtney Scott from the Food Foundation will be presenting a session  on Brexit: Challenges for the Food and Drink Sector and what the sector needs to look out for.

2nd November 2017 - Tackling the Health Challenge

The Food and Drink Federation’s annual nutrition event will focus on the health challenge, and how food and drink manufacturers can tackle it.

This whole-day event will include speeches from our experts as well as case studies and panel discussions.

The day will cover the following topics

• Sugars reduction guidelines and what will the government be focusing on next
• Practical advice & manufacturers’ experiences on how to approach reformulation
• The dietary concerns beyond sugar in the UK and what this means for food producers
• Extended restrictions on marketing to children that came into force in 2017
• When can you claim reduced fat or increased fibre – the FDF best practice guidance on comparative claims

24th October 2017 - The Vegetable Summit

The Vegetable Summit is a pledging event, which forms part of the Peas Please intiative led by The Food Foundation, Nourish Scotland, WWF and Food Cardiff.  There will be 3 summits held simultaneously on October 24th in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, where food system actors such as retailers, restauranteurs, caterers, manufacturers, growers, broadcasters and government will join together to make commitments that will shift our food system to make it easier for everyone to eat more Veg.  Click below for more details.

17th October 2017 - End Hunger National Conference

Help build cross-party support in Parliament for ending hunger in the UK.  There will be high-profile speakers, policy discussion, and workshops to give you the skills you need to help build a powerful movement for food justice where you are.

Topics for panel sessions will include:

• Who is responsible for ending hunger in the UK?
• Tackling childhood hunger/365 day food provision for young people;
• Preventing destitution/reforming Universal Credit and sanctions;
• Measuring the scale of household food insecurity in the UK

25th July 2017 - Peas Please Wales

This stakeholders event brings together people from across the food system to look at what is and what could be done to increase vegetable production and consumption in Wales.  For production, we will hear from large scale and community producers and initiatives that have been set up to support them; Tyfu Cymru and Tyfu Fyny, the Community Land Advisory Service and the Arch of Taste.  There will be a lively ‘Veg Think Tank’ debate featuring different actors in the food chain, producers, processors, wholesalers, distributors and retailers and what they are or could be doing.

4th July 2017 - Malnutrition is the new normal: A British problem needing a global outlook

Malnutrition in all its forms affects 1 in 3 people in the world. The UK is no exception and faces a complex mix of obesity and food insecurity.

This event promotes fresh thinking on food policy to tackle malnutrition in the UK and abroad and supports inter-country learning on food and nutrition policy ideas.

22nd June 2017 - The Royal Highland Show

This fruit and vegetable strategy reception, hosted by MSP Fergus Ewing will be an opportuntiy to hear more about the exciting future plans for the fruit and veg sector in Scotland.

We need to fully understand the challenges and opportunities for our fruit and vegetable sector as it faces a unique set of challenges in the coming years.

This event will be a unique opportunity to discuss the next steps for potatoes, fruit and vegetables to 2030.

7th June 2017 - London Produce Show

7th – 9th June 2017

The Fresh Produce Consortium and Produce Business magazine are proud to present this unique event for the fresh fruit, vegetable and flower industries.

The boutique exhibition gives trade exhibitors direct access to a wide range of international produce buyers from the retail, foodservice and wholesale sectors. A series of networking occasions, seminars and chef demonstrations run around and alongside the exhibition, delivering every participant the opportunity to meet, share and learn with their counterparts from around the world.

For more information and to register click here.

12th May 2017 - The Convention

The Convention is a two-day event on May 12th & 13th at Central Hall, Westminster, bringing you the best minds from culture, politics and media to understand where we are, how we got here and what we’re going to do about it.

Just one of the important topics being discussed over this two day event will be:  Making the case for food

Food is personal but should be political.  Our current food system is in crisis –  it damages  our health and our planet, but there is a dearth of leadership.  Does Brexit create the moment to pass a much needed Food Act?

4th May 2017 - UK Fruit and Vegetable Congress

The FPJ Live Fruit and Vegetable Congress will focus on some of the most important issues facing the trade, from Brexit and labour to retail, marketing, supply chain and the burgeoning catering sector. Leading speakers from suppliers, supermarkets and other industry experts will present their view on how to get ahead and navigate the challenging times facing the industry.

This interactive event will include panel discussions and question opportunities on big issue topics.  The event will be joined by a network of over 200 industry leaders from across the British trade.

You can find more details on the programme here.

1st December 2016 - FAO/WHO INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

This international Symposium will look at sustainable food systems for healthy diets and improved nutrition.

The target audience includes government officials with policy-making and programme-design mandates from Agriculture, Nutrition, Health and other relevant sectors, as well as parliamentarians and non-state actors from civil society, private sector and research/academic institutions.

24th November 2016 - Food Matters Live: Increasing vegetable consumption across the UK

How can industry make it easier to eat more vegetables? What lessons have been learned from initiatives to date, and how much further do we need to go to reach the desired healthy levels of consumption?

Food Matters Live Seminar – 10:45 – 12:15, Seminar room 3

24th November 2016 - Demand-side incentives to fruit and veg consumption.

On November 24^th (15:00 – 17:00) the Food Foundation and London Food Board is convening a roundtable focussing on demand side incentives to fruit and vegetable consumption.  Through the session, we will explore how direct public subsidies, social prescriptions, public planning funds and other policy levers could best be used to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the UK.  Businesses’ experience of voucher schemes and free fruit and veg programmes will also be explored.

14th November 2016 - Priorities for Healthy Food Policy: Launch of Expert Consensus

This event will launch the results of a national Expert Consultation involving 73 experts from 41 organisations in the development of the Food Environment Policy Index.  This Index evaluates how well England is doing in the development of healthy food policies and identifies priorities for action. The event will allow experts to discuss the results and their implications with parliamentarians.

8th November 2016 - The case for measuring UK household food insecurity

An interactive session exploring why, and how, household food insecurity could be measured in the UK, being convened as part of the ESRC Festival of Science.

8th November 2016 - EDUcatering Forum

EDUcatering Forum will provide school and local authority caterers with key insight into the critical issues affecting the school food sector and will explore ways to ensure that school food policy remains a priority in Parliament following the Brexit vote.

7th November 2016 - Peas Please: Making a Pledge for More Veg

The name’s still a secret… but it’s all about VEG… please come along to the grand unveiling of our new initiative to tackle supply side barriers to VEG consumption!
7th November 11.00am – 13.00pm

 It will be in London, Scotland and Wales all at the same time. We’ll tell you where, when you tell us you’re coming!

The event will be followed by time for lunch (no prizes for guessing what exactly) and networking.

 It’s going to be fun and there are many ways in which you can get involved.

 Please do tell your colleagues and get them to come too.

3rd November 2016 - Childhood Obesity Summit 2016

This vital and timely Summit is the only event to focus specifically on UK Childhood Obesity Policy and action, and will be invaluable in bringing together all stakeholders including Government, science, the food industry retailers food-to-go outlets, restaurants, education, healthcare, local authorities, catering and advertising standards to explore practical implementation and next steps, and to challenge the Plan and explore what further action is needed.

27th October 2016 - Diabetes Innovation Summit

Anna Taylor, Executive Director will be speaking at the Diabetes Innovation Summit, which will focus on cutting edge diabetes care and technology, attracting Members of Parliament, leading medical experts, patient groups and cutting-edge technology companies.

19th October 2016 - Obesity and Pregnancy What Legacy for Future Generations?

At this event leading experts from research will discuss the consequences of a woman’s health before and during pregnancy for subsequent generations. The Food Foundation is POST collaborating with the Parliamentary Office of Science and technology on this event.

Macmillan Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament

19th October 2016 - Veg Retreat

This event is a 2 day retreat held in Birmingham is to immerse participants in the reality of the food environment, as part of our veg project.  The retreat will include a one day immersion and fact finding around the challenges in the vegetable supply chain.

13th September 2016 - Westminster Food & Nutrition Keynote Seminar: Food labelling regulation – the future for UK policy

The focus of this seminar includes:

• The impact of the EU referendum and other key implementation issues on the UK food industry’s preparations for the introduction of the European Commission’s mandatory new Food Information to Consumer Regulations (FIC) from December 2016;
• The future of country-of-origin and GMO labelling, and progress on the enforcement of food regulations; and
• Developments in consumer behavior and food labelling policy, including front of pack nutritional information.

7th September 2016 - Future Food Policy: business leaders’ seminar

The Food Foundation convened a small seminar for business leaders to discuss future food policy and how efforts by retailers and manufacturers to make healthy eating easier could be strengthened.

4th August 2016 - National Make Rio Count Day

A national fun day to mark the global Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit at Rio de Janeiro, the day before the start of the Olympic Games. The Rio N4G summit being convened by the Government of Brazil and involving Heads of State from around the world, provides an opportunity to continue this important legacy of the London Olympics.

5th July 2016 - Partnering To Eliminate Malnutrition: From Promise To Impact

DFID with the Embassy of Japan are hosting the UK launch of the Global Nutrition Report on July 5th. The 2016 report is entitled ‘From Promise To Impact’ with a focus on SMART commitments to eliminate malnutrition.

Brexit or Bremain: the EU referendum and healthy and sustainable diets.

The Food Foundation, Food Ethics Council and Food Research Collaboration are co-hosting an event to examine the forthcoming EU referendum, and how it may impact on healthy and sustainable diets.

14th June 2016 - APPAM International Conference

Food Insecurity Around the Globe:  A First Look at the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Food Insecurity Experience Scale Data (FIES).

8th June 2016 - London Produce Show and Conference 2016

The London Produce Show and Conference

2nd June 2016 - What does the right to food mean in practice? Experiences from India, Brazil and Scotland

This seminar will consider experiences of implementing the right to adequate food and nutrition by looking at Brazil and India who have captured this obligation into their national legislative frameworks.

26th May 2016 - Food EPI – Expert Panel consultation meeting

This event is stage two of the Food Environment Policy Index (INFORMAS method).

During stage one The Food Foundation completed a draft evidence paper which grouped UK …

20th April 2016 - Best Food Forward Conference

First Steps Nutrition Trust’s ‘Best Foot Forward’ conference

13th April 2016 - Malnutrition in the UK and Abroad: Making Rio Count

An interactive briefing session and drinks reception on the opportunities of the forthcoming Nutrition4Growth Summit held during the Rio 2016 Olympics and the role for the UK in ending all forms malnutrition
– undernutrition & obesity – in the UK and abroad

10th February 2016 - UK Food Policy & Nutrition: Tracking Progress

This event will review the policy and practice of Government and business on nutrition by looking at 3 new bodies of evidence:

• The Global Nutrition Report’s data on UK progress on global nutrition targets;
• The Access to Nutrition Index which ranks food manufacturers on the extent to which they are supporting good nutrition outcomes; and
• The Food Foundation’s research applying the Food Environment Policy Index to the UK.