Right To Food Campaign puts key demands to Henry Dimbleby Food Review

At a meeting with Government Food Tzar Henry Dimbleby, the Right To Food campaign has today submitted its contribution (Delivering a Right to Food for the UK) to the National Food Strategy, the first independent review of our food system for 75 years.

The Fans Supporting Foodbanks founded the campaign with Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, in recognition of the ten million Britons - including one in three children - living in poverty. It seeks to shape a post-Covid future in which all people might live with the opportunity of health, happiness and dignity. In its submission, the Right To Food campaign makes five initial demands of the Government:

1. Universal Free School Meals

Every child in compulsory education should be provided with a nutritious, free school breakfast and lunch and a legal duty to provide this placed upon the Secretary of State.

2. Community Kitchens

School kitchens to be used during evenings, weekends and school holidays as community kitchens for dining clubs, meals-on-wheels for the elderly and vulnerable, school holiday meals for those most in need and cookery clubs and lessons for the wider community.

3. Reasonable portions in benefits and wages

A duty on Government when setting minimum and living wages, and social security benefits, to state how much of the prescribed sum has been calculated for food. This transparent figure will then be subject to public scrutiny, parliamentary debate and ultimately review in the courts.

4. Ensured food security

A duty on the Secretary of State to ensure food security for our nations and to take this duty into account when setting competition, planning, transport, local government and all other policy. There should be powers to issue compulsory directions to private parties in the context of “food emergencies” relating either to food standards or supply.

5. Independent Enforcement

The new rights and duties must be accompanied by oversight and enforcement powers granted to a new independent regulatory body. This could be an enhanced and additionally resourced combined Food Standards and Security Agency or other independent body with powers and duties, adequate resourcing and the ultimate ability to seek final recourse through the courts.

Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne said:
“This crisis of food poverty in one of the wealthiest places on the planet means that millions of people will skip at least one meal today so as to ensure that their children are fed. The time for sticking plasters is over. The time for reliance on thousands of food bank and pantry volunteers and donors – is over. Our grassroots campaign has shown the strength of feeling in our communities for the Right to Food to be recognised in law and our submission to the National Food Strategy contains five initial demands that could deliver it.“

Chair of the Fans Supporting Foodbanks National Network, Dave Kelly, said:
“We have an opportunity to put the Right to Food in the National Food Strategy and I’m proud of all the supporters of Fans Supporting Foodbanks who have called on Henry Dimbleby to do this. I really hope he takes this opportunity to change millions of lives”