Vast majority of respondents favour government reform to UK food system in new poll, which also reveals support for healthy food and fair prices for farmers
The British public are united in calling for stronger government action, according to a new poll commissioned by The Food Foundation and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC)
Fewer than one in 10 (seven per cent) of people think the food system works well and should be left as is, it found.
Moreover, nearly half (45 per cent) said food should be the top government priority above transport, water and housing, and more than two in three (69 per cent) said the government should do more to make sure food is healthy.
Hearing from over 2,000 UK adults, respondents were united across the country and political spectrum in calling for food security to be prioritised, particularly in light of the incoming Prime Minister.
Support for British farming was also strong. Nine in 10 (90 per cent) respondents also said farmers deserve a fair price covering the real cost of production.
Sue Pritchard, chief executive of FFCC, said: “This polling reveals two particularly important points. Having enough good, healthy food, sustainably produced by UK farmers, is important to people across the political spectrum – a quite remarkable consensus.
“For a new PM, intent on making a real difference in peoples’ everyday lives, this is a clear steer towards the kinds of policies that people want to see delivered.”
The findings also land at a moment when concerns over food security continue to grow, with recent extreme weather across Europe, and geopolitical tensions placing presures on global food supplies. Some 88 per cent of respondents said being resilient to global conflict or extreme weather was vital, with two in three (68 per cent) wanting food produced without damaging the environment, even if it costs slightly more.
Hannah Brinsden, head of policy and advocacy at The Food Foundation, said: “With continuing international conflicts and unprecedented weather conditions increasingly in the news, a resilient food system that can support a healthy population even through turbulent times is recognised by the public as a necessity. All eyes are on the next Prime Minister to step up to ensure this happens.”
The polling comes a year on from the launch of the government’s food strategy which centered around the ‘Good Food Cycle’, suggesting there is still public concern and demand for greater government action.
