Food Sustainability: combating the issues we face

Can a new government initiative tackle the public health issue of malnourishment in an environment of rising child poverty and climate change in the UK?

It’s no secret that the UK’s soil is not ideal. With overfarming and rising cases of flooding caused by climate change, the quality of the UK’s soils is decreasing at an alarming rate. Whilst this may cause concern regarding food security for the future, there are also more prominent concerns about the deterioration of nutrition in the food we eat now. 

Over the last 80 years, the levels of certain minerals such as Sodium, Iron and Copper have decreased by approximately 50% in UK crops due to poor soil quality and higher levels of carbon dioxide. This indicates that our food is now much less nutritious than it used to be, contributing to the now-recognised ‘major public health issue’ of malnourishment in the UK.

With both levels of obesity and malnutrition increasing over the last few years, whilst the cost of living crisis may hold some responsibility, we may need to rethink how we approach food as a society. In addition to this, over 1.25 million people in the UK are affected by eating disorders, with the diagnosis of these conditions increasing at a rate that the NHS is struggling to deal with. While these are not all new problems, the extent of these issues surrounding food and nutrition urgently demands to be tackled. As shown in reports earlier this year from MPs regarding concerns with current healthcare systems, this aspect of health cannot continue to be overlooked and must be prioritised.

In response, a new initiative announced by the government this July bearing the name “Good Food Cycle” aims to tackle issues related to food including its main outcomes of; an improved food environment that supports healthier and more environmentally sustainable food sales; access for all to safe, affordable, healthy, convenient and appealing food options; and conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains.

“Food security is national security – we need a resilient food system that can weather any storm while ensuring families across the country can access affordable, healthy food.” – Minister for Food Security, Daniel Zeichner

Additionally, Minister for Health Ashley Dalton expressed her hope that this would “be good for the health of our communities and help us curb the rising tide of cost and demand on the NHS.”

Leeds is no stranger to initiatives aiming to tackle nutritional poverty and food sustainability, with many organisations currently working hard within the community to address these problems. Some of these include Foodwise Leeds, Feed Leeds, and REAP (Roundhay Environmental Action Project). If you are interested in how you can eat more sustainably or help to tackle these issues, their websites have plenty of information about local community action that you can contribute to.

Words by Cassia Bennett

Image: Abigail Coughlan