The Healthier Food Mark: why it matters?

Bronwen Jones Deputy Director Food Policy UnitDefra

Food Matters:Towards a Food Strategy for the 21st Century

The politics of food

Why food matters: economy

• 3.2 million jobs• £172bn sales in 2007• 7% of UK national output, the

UK’s largest single manufacturing sector

Why food matters: environment

• 18% of UK total GHG emissions; agriculture contributes 7% of UK total GHG• Produces waste, water pollution, loss of habitats and biodiversity

• But also landscape, land management, biodiversity benefits

Why food matters: health

• Consumers are better informed and more demanding about the food they eat

• 40% of us will be obese by 2025; 60% by 2050

• 70,000 premature deaths could be avoided by matching nutritional guidelines

Too much

saturated fat

Too much added sugar

Too much salt

Co-ordinating Government policy• Machinery of Government changes in October 2008

• Working across Government – as well as lead responsibilities on farming, the food industry and their environmental impacts working on – Social impacts and health and wellbeing, food inequalities, food poverty, food skills– International activity on global food security and sustainability

• Holistic view to achieve four policy goals set out in the PMSU ‘Food

Matters’ report:

• Foster collaborative working; add value to others’ work; and enhance the Government’s reputation on food policymaking

What do we want to achieve

Food matters objectives: • Fair prices, choice access to food and food

security through open competitive markets• Continuous improvement in safety of food• Healthier food;• More environmentally sustainable food chain

How can the HFM help deliver these objectives?• Provides a market for healthy sustainable food• Provides a better food offer for people in

hospitals, schools, care homes and canteens • Engages with them on health and

sustainability issues; and • Shows government leadership.

Thank you