Sustainable Development Report “Looking Back, Looking Forwards: sustainability and UK Food Policy 2000-2011”

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

ISSN: 1467-6370

Article publication date: 11 July 2011

606

Citation

(2011), "Sustainable Development Report “Looking Back, Looking Forwards: sustainability and UK Food Policy 2000-2011”", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 12 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2011.24912caa.012

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Sustainable Development Report “Looking Back, Looking Forwards: sustainability and UK Food Policy 2000-2011”

Article Type: News from the net From: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 12, Issue 3

The UK Sustainable Development Commission’s (SDC’s) final report on food matters to the governments of the UK warns all four governments not to step back from the challenge of making our food systems more sustainable, calling on them to raise their game and speed up the pace and scale of change in the light of uncertain oil prices, climate change and public health challenges.

The report reviews progresses towards sustainable food policy in the UK from 2000 to 2011 – the period that reflects the lifetime of the SDC. It draws on previous work by the SDC and others in this area and the findings of a survey of 145 experts within government, business, academia and civil society during November and December 2010. It concludes that while progress has been made, not enough has occurred to dispel our concern about failures to achieve systemic change.

The SDC’s recommendations include the need to:

  • work with business, civil society organisations and experts to develop ambitious delivery plans to support the goal of creating more sustainable UK food systems by 2030;

  • prioritise reversing the decline in UK food production, helping expand vegetable crops sustainably and increasing UK fruit production;

  • enable the meat and dairy industry to reduce its reliance on grain feedstuffs to lower land use and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

  • work to create local food partnerships to harness local government, health authorities, community groups and local business to meet local sustainability goals;

  • increase efforts to reduce food waste, planning for zero food waste to landfill by 2015;

  • ensure practical food experience in schools including cooking skills and food growing; and

  • reflect the cost of ensuring a nutritious and sustainable diet in minimum wage and benefit levels.

It also emphasizes the need to mandate health and sustainability standards for all publicly procured food. The report is available at: www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/FoodPolicy10_Report_final_w.pdf

Related articles