The Food Foundation Podcast

In this week's Pod Bites, Philip Pothen, Director of Engagement at the University of Kent tells us about The Right to Food University. Inspired by a visit to the University by UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri to talk about has established a Right to Food University. Bringing together Kent's research and innovation, its links with businesses, teaching, curriculum and volunteer power, its students and staff, this is about a series of initiatives exploring how to deliver a fairer, more sustainable and more affordable food system.Click here for more information on The Food Foundation's work with The Right to Food University at Kent

This week, guest presenter, Leyla Kazim of Radio 4's The Food Programme looks at the Food Foundation's 2023 State of the Nation's Food Industry Report - or SOFI - on the retailers and out of home businesses leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable diet.With Linus Pardoe of the Good Food Institute, Ita McMahon of Castlefield Sustainable Investing, Stephanie Sargent, youth leader of Act4Food, Ryan Holmes, Culinary Director, Business and Industry at Compass Group UK & Ireland, and Chloe MacKean, Business Engagement Manager at the Food Foundation.Click here for the Food Foundation manifesto

This week, Vera Zakharov, the local action coordinator for Sustain on why families with no recourse to public funds deserve access to Healthy Start, a vital nutritional safety net for their youngest children.As a letter from 148 signatories lands this week on the desk of the new Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, Andrea Leadsom outlining an immediate call for a consultation on extending Healthy Start to all low income families with no recourse to public funds, Vera explains why it's essential for the health of the nation.Click here to read the letter and here for the surveyClick here for the Food Foundation manifesto.

Danielle Glavin, Head of Communications at Chefs in Schools on the result of a survey which found that a third of families can no longer afford hot school lunchesFood and children’s charities are calling on the Government to urgently expand eligibility for free school meals after new research found that a third of families can no longer afford hot school lunches. The polling of parents across England, carried out by Survation for Chefs in Schools also found that 41% were providing less nutritious packed lunches for children because of rising food prices.The research also reveals:● 56% of parents are struggling to make ends meet● 58% feel the current Free School Meals system, where eligibility variesdepending on location and age, is unfair● 83% of parents wanted eligibility expanded● 62% said they would be more likely to vote for a party which promised toexpand free school mealsClick here for more information on the surveyClick here for the Food Foundation Manifesto

In the fifth episode of this series on the broken plate, the Food Foundation's annual report on the state of the nation's food system, Dominique Woolf, author of Dominique's Kitchen and winner of The Jamie Oliver Great Cookbook Challenge on Channel Four looks at the impact of sugary cereals and yoghurts clearly marketed at children on their dental health. Click here for the full Broken Plate reportClick here for the Food Foundation Manifesto

In this Pod Bite, Shona Goudie, policy and advocacy manager at the Food Foundation brings us up to speed on the Kids Guarantee Scheme and what supermarkets are doing to provide the 900,000 school children in the UK living in food insecurity with a healthy packed lunch.Click here for the Food Foundation manifesto.

Sue Pritchard, chief executive at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission on the National Conversation About Food.Sue explains the ideas behind this project which gathers citizens to understand what people really think about food and talk about how we can fix food, fix the planet and fix our health. Click here for more information on FFCC's work and here for the Food Foundation's manifesto.

In the 4th episode of this 12-part series on the Food Foundation's annual Broken Plate report on the state of the nation's food system, guest presenter, TV chef and author of Cook Clever, Shivi Ramoutar tells us about the rise in fast food outlets in the UK. Leticija Petrovic, City Food Policy lead at The Food Foundation tells us how Birmingham City Council, one of those deprived areas, is transforming its local food system. Justin Varney, Director of Public Health and Birmingham City Council and Vicky Hemming, Head of Food at its Active Wellbeing Society talk about joined-up thinking in creating a healthy high street. And  Fran Bernhardt, Children's Food Campaign Coordinator at Sustain reports on some of the positive initiatives taken by city councils all over the country.Click here for the Food Foundation manifesto.

Sarah Buszard, responsible investor engagement lead for the Food Foundation on our recently released briefing that looks at how important educational and information provision interventions are as tools for improving dietary health.