Almost 50 organisations from across the food and farming spectrum are calling for the UK Government to support the shift to more plant-rich diets through its food strategy.
The Food Foundation, the British Growers Association and Doctors Association UK are among 48 organisations to have endorsed a 10-point plan sent to new Defra secretary of state Emma Reynolds and minister for food security and rural affairs Dame Angela Eagle.
They say, if enacted, the policy measures detailed in the plan would help increase production and consumption of plant-rich diets in the UK and in turn help achieve the priority outcomes outlined in the food strategy.
Increased production and consumption of healthy plant-based foods – in particular vegetables, pulses, legumes, fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains – would positively impact public health, bolster food security, enhance environmental protection, encourage economic growth and improve animal welfare, according to the group.
Proposed measures include leveraging public procurement and catering to source and provide more plant-based foods, normalising plant rich diets and catalysing growth in the market.
The government should also encourage food suppliers to transition towards a higher proportion of sales of plant-based foods, including via mandatory reporting of relevant metrics.
The group is also calling for ministers to boost national food security and economic growth by supporting the horticulture sector to produce more fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans and pulses in the UK.
Proposed interventions to stimulate demand for plant-rich foods include improved labelling of the health and environmental impacts of different foods, and a focus on making it easier and more affordable for people to access and eat healthy food through, for example, providing fruit and vegetables through voucher schemes.
“The evidence is unequivocal that people in the UK are not eating enough plant-based foods – in particular, vegetables, pulses, legumes, fruit, nuts, seeds and wholegrains – and that public health will improve if we can secure a transition towards more plant-rich diets,” said Dr Matthew Lee, sustainability lead from Doctors Association UK.
“That dietary transition can reduce the burden of disease and ease pressure on the NHS. The government has everything to gain by taking action.”
