UKRI has added a brand new £680,000 interdisciplinary challenge to its Remodeling UK Meals Techniques Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) programme.
The profitable challenge, led by the College of Studying, goals to mannequin a collection of things that affect meals imports to the UK market.
It’ll additionally delve into the related interventions that could possibly be carried out to remodel the UK meals system to enhance the dietary well being of UK residents and the well being of the atmosphere.
To this point, the Remodeling UK Meals Techniques SPF programme has invested £40 million in:
- 4 massive consortia tasks
- a Centre for Doctoral Coaching
- 11 smaller action-focused analysis tasks
The brand new challenge is a crucial addition to the SPF programme and can praise the present analysis underway.
The necessity for change
The Remodeling UK Meals Techniques SPF programme is an interdisciplinary analysis programme that may assist remodel the UK meals system inside a worldwide context by addressing two overarching questions:
- If we put wholesome folks and a wholesome pure atmosphere on the coronary heart of the meals system, what would we eat, how would we encourage folks to eat it, and the place would that meals come from? What would we develop and manufacture within the UK and what would we have to import?
- In delivering this reworked meals system, what interventions can be wanted throughout authorities, enterprise and civil society?
In addition to inspecting the complicated interactions between well being, atmosphere, financial and behavioural elements throughout the meals system, the programme additionally considers the broader wants of various teams in society.
Interventions for transformation
The UK at present imports roughly 46% of the meals it consumes, demonstrating the worldwide nature of meals provide chains.
Contemplating the meals that we’d must import, export, produce and devour is due to this fact very important if we’re to efficiently remodel the UK meals system.
The College of Studying led challenge goals to develop a blueprint for a coordinated set of coverage interventions to help the transition to wholesome and sustainable diets within the UK.
The interventions thought-about will embody:
- fiscal and commerce coverage measures
- meals provide and worth chain structural improvements
- industry-led initiatives that may facilitate and help the transition to wholesome and sustainable diets
Making an actual influence
Professor C S Srinivasan, Principal Investigator for the profitable challenge primarily based on the College of Studying, mentioned:
The transition to sustainable and wholesome diets within the UK will name for a considerable realignment of UK meals manufacturing, commerce and provide chains. A realignment that’s per anticipated shifts in client demand and environmental sustainability constraints.
This challenge takes a complete meals programs method by concurrently inspecting the consumption, manufacturing, worldwide commerce and provide chain implications of the transition.
Shaping our future meals system
Professor Man Poppy, Remodeling UK Meals Techniques SPF Programme Director, mentioned:
The significance of economics, particularly commerce, in shaping a meals system is effectively recognised. On the time of this name, UK customers have been dealing with the very actual penalties of a change in provide from commerce as merchandise like tomatoes grew to become rationed in main supermarkets.
Each the rise in meals costs and the evolving nature of buying and selling relationships have an effect on our meals system. As such, they’re key drivers in the necessity to remodel the present system for more healthy folks and a more healthy atmosphere.
This newest funding alternative attracted many high-quality proposals led by main economists and commerce specialists. We sit up for working carefully with the College of Studying led group and integrating their analysis into our wider SPF programme.
High picture: Credit score: bfk92, E+ by way of Getty Photographs
