Food Shock Warning Issued by 100 UK Organisations

A coalition of over 100 organisations, including major retailers and charities, has issued a stark warning about the UK's vulnerability to future food shocks. The group has signed a letter highlighting concerns over the nation's food security, stating that the next major disruption is a matter of when, not if.

Declining Production and Rising Imports

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The letter points to a significant drop in domestic food production, with British fruit and vegetable output falling by 16% since 2015. This decline has led to an increased reliance on imports, with the UK now sourcing 78% of its food from abroad. This reliance makes the UK food system "dangerously exposed to external shocks," according to The Food Foundation's executive director, Anna Taylor.

Economic pressures and global events, such as international conflict affecting fertiliser costs and extreme weather impacting harvests, are exacerbating these vulnerabilities. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank projects that UK food prices could be 50% higher by November 2026 compared to mid-2021 levels.

Call for a Good Food Bill

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To address these issues, the organisations are advocating for the introduction of a Good Food Bill. This proposed legislation would establish a legally binding framework aimed at improving national food and nutrition security, public health, and the overall resilience of the food system. The bill seeks to place food policy on a statutory, long-term footing for the first time.

Signatories to the letter include prominent names such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose, Co-op, Danone, along with charities like Barnardo’s, Amnesty International UK, and WWF-UK. Health campaigners and farming organisations have also lent their support.

“The UK food system is dangerously exposed to shocks far beyond our borders.”

Anna Taylor, The Food Foundation

Richard Hall, vice president for North Europe at Danone, stated that a Good Food Bill would provide a framework to improve public health and offer businesses the long-term certainty needed for investment. Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, added that a more resilient food system is needed to back British farmers and ensure affordable, nutritious food remains accessible.

Impact on Public Health and Households

The letter warns that the consequences of inaction are already being felt, particularly by those with fewer resources. Food insecurity affects 15% of households with children, and rising costs are pushing healthy diets further out of reach. This can lead to increased reliance on cheaper, less nutritious food, with the NHS subsequently facing higher costs for diet-related illnesses.

The proposed Good Food Bill aims to set legally binding targets to reduce childhood obesity, increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables, boost domestic production, and decrease household food insecurity. The initiative calls for food to be a higher priority across all government departments, ensuring decisions impacting health, farming, planning, and trade contribute to better access to healthy and sustainable food.