Over 100 food and health companies push UK government to adopt Good Food Bill

Over 100 organizations are urging the UK Prime Minister to introduce a “Good Food Bill” to improve national food security and public health. Signatories of a cross-sector letter to Andy Burnham seek to address issues threatening the food system, such as increasing food costs and diet-related diseases amid climate risks and geopolitical tensions. 

Food giants, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose, and Danone, are endorsing the letter, alongside Amnesty International UK and WWF-UK, investment companies, farming organizations, and health advocacy groups like Action on Salt and Sugar.

The letter calls for legally binding frameworks that target lowering childhood obesity, promote domestic food production, and enhance collaboration across government sectors. According to The Food Foundation, public support for the bill is widespread, with polls showing +72 approval across the political spectrum.

“Poor diet, especially among children, is one of the biggest challenges facing the UK today. Addressing it will require the government, industry, and civil society to work together on practical, evidence-based solutions,” comments Richard Hall, VP and general secretary, Danone North Europe. 

“The Good Food Bill provides an important framework to improve public health while giving businesses the long-term certainty they need to invest and help deliver that change.”

Build resilience against climate change 

The plea comes on the heels of wildfires spreading across Europe, threatening harvests, and diet-related disease reaching record-high levels, warns The Food Foundation. 

“Every major shock of recent years has exposed the same weakness: we don’t treat food as a strategic national priority,” states Blanche Shackleton, interim executive director at Green Alliance — the co-lead for the Good Food Bill campaign alongside The Food Foundation and Sustain. These leaders pushed the government to adopt the Good Food Bill in February this year.

“As climate change, nature loss, and geopolitical instability place growing pressure on our food system, the government needs a long-term plan that matches the scale of the challenge. A Good Food Bill would provide the framework to strengthen food security, support farmers and growers, and give everyone access to healthier, more sustainable food.”

Mounting pressures

International conflict has increased fertilizer costs by around 40% since last year, notes The Food Foundation. The global use of nitrogen-based fertilizer has dropped since the Iran war and is expected to continue falling until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

Additionally, The Food Foundation points to the government’s National Security Assessment finding that global biodiversity loss poses a direct threat to the UK’s food supply. The food system is also known as a primary driver of biodiversity loss.

Food prices are expected to jump 50% higher this November since the start of the cost of living crisis.Combined, these pressures are impacting farmers and raising food prices, expected to jump 50% higher this November since the start of the cost of living crisis. “We are living through a period of profound change, yet we are still trying to feed the country with a mid-twentieth-century food system built for a more stable world,” notes Kath Dalmeny, chief executive of Sustain. 

“Each new shock lands on a food system with less capacity to absorb it. British production of fruit and vegetables has fallen 16% since 2015, and we now import 78% of our supply. The next food shock is not a question of if, but when,” reads the letter.

“To meet it prepared, food has to stop being an afterthought for the government: we need mechanisms to put food high on the priority list of every part of government.”

Simon Roberts, chief executive at Sainsbury’s, comments: “Recent weeks have shown just how much pressure our food system is under. We need a more resilient food system that attracts investment, backs British farmers, and helps keep affordable, nutritious food on tables across the nation.”

Struggling families bear brunt 

The Food Foundation warns that struggling families facing high food costs will opt for less healthy food, cutting down on fruit and vegetables. 

Commenting on the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, Action Against Hunger previously told Nutrition Insight that hunger is not a supply issue but an affordability crisis. A separate review warned that over two billion people globally face micronutrient deficiencies, representing a spike of hidden hunger worldwide.

“The cost of doing nothing on this issue is already falling on those with the least resources, with food insecurity already affecting 15% of households with children. Economic pressures continue to push a healthy diet further out of reach for many, with the National Health Service then left to pick up the bill,” the letter states.

Tesco UK CEO Ashwin Prasad points out: “The Good Food Bill has the potential to provide the accountability and long-term commitment needed to drive meaningful change, and by working together across government, business, and communities, we can shape a food system that genuinely supports healthier futures for generations to come.”