The Food Foundation has released new data showing food insecurity will increase in the UK from 2022 onwards.
Levels of food insecurity, although gradually decreasing, remain high. But new data collected in January shows rates of food insecurity are creeping back up.
With soaring oil prices and limited fertilizer supplies raising concerns about how a prolonged war with Iran will affect food prices, it is more important than ever that the Government takes action to ensure the UK’s food security.
Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation, explained: “From energy markets in the Middle East to global fertilizers and transportation routes, our food supply is now inextricably linked to geopolitical events beyond our control.
“The cost of living crisis has already revealed how fragile this system is. Families felt it at the cash register, farmers felt it on their balance sheets, and food banks felt it in record demand.”
What are the factors driving food insecurity in the UK?
Healthy food remains unavailable to poor households
Previous research by the Food Foundation has shown that healthier foods cost more than twice as much per calorie as less healthy foods.
This means the poorest fifth of the population and households with children will need to spend 70% of their disposable income on food to cover the cost of the healthy diet recommended by the government.
According to the Food Foundation’s Basic Basket Tracker, the price of a typical shopping basket is up 33% compared to April 2022.
Although the rate of increase slowed in late 2024, prices rose more rapidly over the past year, especially as food inflation began to outpace overall inflation again in early 2025.
Homegrown food levels are decreasing
Meanwhile, UK growers continue to go out of business, domestic fruit and vegetable production has fallen by 16% since 2015, and the UK has become even more dependent on imports (now 65% of fruit and vegetables and 40% of all food), leaving the country vulnerable to global conflict and changing weather patterns.
Countries with strong domestic production, such as Spain and Italy, saw less food price rises during the recent cost of living crisis, the ONS said.
Furthermore, at least half of the fruit and vegetables that the UK imports now come from countries already facing extreme water shortages.
Protecting people, farmers and businesses with the Good Food Bill
In light of these food insecurity concerns, the Food Foundation and the Sustain and Green Alliance are calling for the Good Food Act to protect people, farmers, and food businesses from food system shocks and provide a legal framework to address some of our most deeply entrenched problems.
This follows a joint statement released last month by more than 100 retailers, businesses, investors, NGOs and academics calling for a new ‘Better Food Bill’.
A new report details how the Affordable Food Act will reshape the food system over the long term, ensuring everyone has access to affordable, healthy and sustainable food, and ensuring a domestic supply of shock-resistant and nutritious food.
Some of the report’s recommendations for this bill include:
Set the definition of ‘healthy and sustainable eating’. This would ensure that school meals, hospital food, food industry restrictions and public sector procurement all work towards the same nutrition goals, and that agricultural policy supports farmers to produce more nutritious food for people to eat. Requires governments to publish a Good Food Action Plan every five years. Strengthen cross-sector collaboration within government. Obliging local governments to play a role in strengthening food system resilience.
Providing a healthy and affordable food system
This will deliver on the outcomes of the government’s Good Food Cycle food strategy and ensure that the failures highlighted by the cost of living crisis are never repeated.
“New food legislation will set a strong direction for successive governments to build a food system that keeps people healthy and food affordable,” said Cass Dalmeny, CEO of Sustain, the Alliance for Better Food and Farming.
“The food system just has to change, and we need the Affordable Food Act to change that.”
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