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A major review of the nation’s food strategy and culture highlights the need for dramatic change in how the UK produces and consumes food to improve public health, protect the NHS and ensure resilience to shocks, such as climate change.
The review, which looks at the entire food chain ‘from field to fork’, recommends a 30% reduction in meat consumption by 2032, along with a range of measures to reduce diet inequalities and move away from ‘junk food’ culture.
The review notes that voluntary measures will not be enough. It recommends that all food companies with more than 250 employees – including retailers, restaurants, fast food joints, contract caterers, wholesalers, manufacturers and online ordering platforms – should publish an annual report on a range of measures, including food waste and sales of protein by type (meat, dairy, fish, plant, or alternative protein).
The review also acknowledges that the spaces in which consumers buy and eat food can have a strong influence on people’s dietary choices:
“Supermarkets and the hospitality sector are extremely adept at nudging consumers towards certain products and behaviours. They can do this by changing their layouts and menus, using discounts and promotions, reformulating their own products, changing their packaging and labelling, and using their enormous purchasing power selectively.”
This aligns with what we already know about people’s dietary habits being far from simple individual choices. What we eat is affected by a wide range of structural factors – these include biological, medical, developmental, psychological, economic and social factors, as well as the influence of media, infrastructure and the food environment. The Government’s Obesity System Map is a great visualisation of these many interlinking variables.
According to Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest carbon budget, a range of low-carbon choices will form part of a “balanced pathway” towards net zero – with food and diet changes making “smaller, but important contributions” to this transition. Household low-carbon choices contribute to one-third of emissions reduction in 2040, while a shift in average meat and dairy consumption are anticipated to make up 6% of these household emissions reductions. The CCC note that:
“By 2040, 25% of meat (30% of red meat) and 20% of dairy is replaced with lower-carbon foods, compared to 2019 consumption levels”
Drawing on evidence from a Citizens’ Panel, which was convened as part of the report, the CCC found that:
Interestingly, much of the news coverage of the Carbon Budget focused on diet shifts, despite a greater emphasis on other measures. (Electrification and low-carbon electricity supply make up the largest share of emissions reductions in the CCC’s pathway – 60% by 2040).
A three-month online research and engagement project conducted by Hubbub worked with 175 UK homeowners (followed by polling of 501 UK homeowners) to understand how to support UK households in the transition to net zero.
On diets and food, the work found people’s motivations involve a mix of considerations about health, costs and taste. Health was the biggest priority when it came to diet, but people also reported cutting down on meat due to increased costs.
When it came to tackling food waste, the expert advice and engagement offered to households helped to drive meaningful changes. By engaging in the project, 75% (130) of 175 Household participants said they felt more confident about reducing and preventing food waste at home.
More widely, the work suggests that further measures are needed to enable households to buy more loose fruit and vegetables, and increase the range of vegetarian choices available; while in terms of communication and engagement, the report suggests there is a need reframe meat reduction more positively.
What’s the public appetite for climate-friendly food choices?
Making sense of public opinion on sustainable food and diet changes in 2025 – from willingness and perception gaps, to policies and public engagement.