With so many competing priorities and interests, there is a real danger the Food Strategy Advisory Board risks becoming a body that cannot deliver effective solutions for the people who need it most.
The membership, while featuring many respected figures, raises concerns about whether the lived realities of those most affected by food insecurity are genuinely being heard.
Where are the voices of those living with the daily struggle to afford basic, nutritious food? Without them, policymaking risks being detached from the very problems it aims to solve.
Sir Terry Leahy, a former chief executive of Tesco, rightly warns that the board has been given too many ‘cross-cutting’ objectives — from tackling obesity to improving biodiversity and ensuring food security.
These are all critical goals, but decisions made to advance one could easily undermine progress in another.
A strategy stretched across too many fronts risks achieving little where decisive action is urgently needed.
At The Bread and Butter Thing, we support 100,000 families through 145 food clubs across the country, by redistributing surplus food to provide essential supplies for families at an affordable price.
Everyday, we’re seeing more working people looking for access to healthy, affordable options to feed their families and demand for our services is showing no signs of slowing down.
We need decision makers to address issues with purpose and look for realistic measures to reduce people’s reliance on food relief charities by speaking to those at the heart of the issue.
Our recent Slice of Life survey, which included nearly 10,000 members facing real financial hardship, paints a stark reality:
• 45% have less than £50 remaining monthly after housing and energy costs.
• 60% are behind on utility payments.
• 69% would struggle with an unexpected £100 expense without borrowing.
For these households, ultra-processed food (UPF) isn’t a preference - it’s an economic necessity.
Fiscal measures like taxing unhealthy foods must go hand-in-hand with bold policies that expand access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious food. Otherwise, many low-income families - who are already struggling - will find themselves in an even worse position.
Public voices, when authentically integrated, offer essential insight. Ignoring them creates a risk that well-intentioned policies could worsen food poverty.
Food Clubs like ours demonstrate that real change is possible without stigma or means-testing:
• 81% now access better-quality food.
• 79% eat more fruit and vegetables.
• 47% have significantly improved their diets.
As one of our members from Stobhill Community Centre, Morpeth said: “It helped me to feed myself and my family instead of skipping meals. Fruit and veg were luxuries I couldn’t afford before.”
The success of the national food strategy depends on getting priorities right. Affordability of nutritious food must be front and centre. Without it, strategies to reduce obesity, improve health, and protect food security will fail those they are supposed to serve.
