Good Food Bill urged to shield UK from shocks

What's happened

A coalition including supermarkets, charities and farming bodies warns the UK food system faces future shocks as production falls and imports rise. They call for a legally binding Good Food Bill to improve national food security, nutrition and resilience, citing higher prices, climate risks and biodiversity loss.

What's behind the headline?

Why this matters now

• The letter argues for a statutory framework to secure healthy, affordable food as prices rise and shocks become more frequent.
• It ties food resilience to public health goals, arguing for targets on obesity, fruit/veg consumption and domestic production.

What to watch

• Whether government adopts a formal Good Food Bill and set binding metrics.
• The balance between supporting British farmers and keeping prices affordable for families.

What this signals for readers

• Diet and shopping choices may be affected by new policies that prioritise domestic production and resilience over short-term cost-cutting.
• Investment in agriculture and infrastructure could shape prices and availability in coming years.

How we got here

Leaders from major retailers, charities and farming groups have joined forces in a bid to harden the UK’s food system against future shocks. They point to a 16% fall in domestic fruit and veg production since 2015 and 78% import reliance, underscoring the need for long-term policy that prioritises food in government decisions and supports farmers amid rising costs and climate risks.

Our analysis

Independent reports from the Independent and BBC Business show a broad coalition urging a legally binding Good Food Bill. Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose, Co-op and major NGOs underscore the systemic risks and the need for national-level leadership. The coverage highlights cost pressures, import reliance and climate-related risks, while stressing the role of policy in shaping long-term resilience.

Go deeper

• What would a Good Food Bill require in practice?
• How soon could government introduce binding targets and what would they mean for shoppers?
• Which sectors stand to gain most from a resilient, domestically sourced food system?

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