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A new Government report, Food Matters – Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century, published earlier this week by the Cabinet Office, sets out its vision for a new food policy framework. The report is the result of a ten month Strategy Unit project commissioned by the Prime Minister to look at food issues in the UK. It draws together evidence about long-term trends in food production and consumption, and how food safety and nutrition impact on the health of the UK. 

The press coverage focused on the need to reduce food waste.  But the report covers a lot more than this and provides a comprehensive analysis of food and its importance to the UK economy and its impact on public health and the environment.  For example, the report highlights the numbers of premature deaths due to poor diets (70,000) and draws attention to the fact that 18% of UK greenhouse gas emissions are related to food production and consumption.  

I think it is well worth a read and I would welcome your views on the analysis and the recommended way forward.