Why fairness must be at the heart of the new food strategy

A new report, out today, calls for fairness to sit at the heart of the Food Strategy currently being developed by government.

Using an innovative new approach, Defra is involving citizens in the strategy. Laying the Foundation by the Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) sets out the group’s intentions and priorities – including learning from what is working well, getting to the root of the problem, and creating the right incentives for change.

In the first phase of their work earlier in the year, the CAC observed government workshops with representatives from business, academia and civil society.

The Laying the Foundation report 

They also designed their own workshops with a wider group of citizens to get their views on the Food Strategy development process. This report is the culmination of that piece of work and sets out their intentions for the next.

The 20 council members represent different geographic, social and economic backgrounds. They bring with them a lived experience of the UK food system and a focus on what works for them, their family, their community and future generations of people living in the UK.

They come to the project having already spent time understanding the way the UK food system works as participants in the Food, Farming and Countryside’s Food Conversation or the Food Ambassador programme, led by The Food Foundation.

In the next phase of work with Defra, the CAC will investigate what’s working well in different regions across the UK when it comes to food. Through a series of citizen inquiries, members will visit areas where food system transformation is already happening – working directly with mayors, council leaders, businesses, and community organisations to understand what national policy can learn from the work happening all around the country.

David Njoku, member of the Citizen Advisory Council, said: "Over the past few months I’ve had the privilege of being part of the Citizen Advisory Council, assisting Defra with the Food Strategy.

"Our meetings can get quite passionate, as the Council is very diverse and we all bring different points of view. This report highlights how much we – and citizens across the UK – care about the issue."

Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive at FFCC, said: "This report from the Citizen Advisory Council shows the real value of involving citizens in policymaking.

"Bringing their everyday expertise of the food system, they are clear about what they want from Defra’s new Food Strategy – it must be fair, inclusive, accountable, and on the side of citizens. Phase 2 will go further, making detailed recommendations which build on excellent work already happening around the country.

"And - excitingly - citizens are also showing us how food is a route into a bigger conversation, about healthy and prosperous communities and even the kind of country they want to live in."

 

Anna Taylor, Executive Director at The Food Foundation, said: "The Citizen Advisory Council has already made an important contribution to the Food Strategy, bringing their on the ground perspectives on what changes to the food system would really have a positive impact on the lives of everyday people.

"Advising Defra, alongside NGOs, businesses and producers, the Council is supporting the government to achieve a Food Strategy that works for the people of the UK and where health and wellbeing are a primary goal.

“In this second phase of citizen engagement in the strategy the Council will be seeking to understand what’s working well in food systems at local level. They will be exploring the mechanisms and conditions that could be replicated elsewhere or scaled up for greater impact.

"Looking forward, their focus will be on the policy solutions needed to ensure food companies prioritise public health, that our environment is protected, farmers supported and the economy grows.

"As an advisory body for the strategy, they will continue to represent the voices of citizens and communities up and down the country in the decision making process."