Select Committee · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Food Security

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Jul 2022 Closed: 17 Nov 2023 15 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is looking at the pressures facing the UK food supply chain and its implication of UK food security and public access to access healthy and nutritious food. You can read the terms of reference for this inquiry here . Our call for evidence ended on 30 September 2022

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Seventh Report - Food security HC 622 28 Jul 2023 23 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
16 Recommendation Seventh Report - Food security Accepted

Facilitate UN Special Rapporteur's visit to assess statutory right to food in England

We support the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food’s request to undertake a Country Visit to the UK, and call for the Government to facilitate such a visit before the end of this year if Professor Fakhri is available or, if he is not, as soon as …

Government response. The government states the UK has a standing invitation for UN Special Procedure mandate holders and its UN Mission is in touch with OHCHR to find suitable dates for the Special Rapporteur on Food's visit.
19 Conclusion Seventh Report - Food security Accepted

Require mandatory public health metrics reporting and urgent research on ultra-processed foods

The Government has set out three actions that could help encourage healthier eating. On mandatory public reporting against a set of health metrics, this should become a requirement within the next six months. Further research on ultra-processed foods as a contributor to over consumption of higher calorie foods should commence …

Government response. The government described its existing "Better Health" campaign, which launched in July 2020, along with existing tools and regulations like voluntary front-of-pack labelling, calorie labelling, and a pilot rewards app, as efforts to encourage healthier eating, but did not commit …

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
24 Jan 2023 David Kennedy · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Mark Spencer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
13 Dec 2022 Dr Kelly Parsons · MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Emily Hunter · The Woodland Trust, Mark Tufnell · Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Professor Michael Winter, University of Exeter, Centre for Rural Policy Research, Professor Tim Lang · City University London's Centre for Food Policy View ↗
22 Nov 2022 Anna Taylor · The Food Foundation, Lindsay Boswell · FareShare, Maria Marshall · Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN), Professor Michael Fakhri · University of Oregon School of Law View ↗
8 Nov 2022 Andrew Opie · British Retail Consortium (BRC), David Thomson · Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Ed Barker · Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), James Walton · IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), Minette Batters · National Farmers Union, Will Jackson · Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) View ↗
18 Oct 2022 Henry Dimbleby · Leon Restaurants View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
22 Mar 2023 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries to the Committee regar…