UK Food Policy History

This is a comprehensive and essential resource for those new to food policy, but also an important record and future roadmap of the UK context for those who have worked in this field for many years. Chapter 8 was of particular interest, having worked in food education for over a decade, providing sobering reminders of the efforts to spotlight the health of future generations via the food and education provided in schools and the work still to do. Thank you, Martin and Sinéad, for this important reference for our times. Dr. Rosina Borrelli, Food Systems Transformation Group, University of Oxford.

UK Food Policy History’ is a necessary and timely deep dive into food policy in the UK from the 19th Century to the present day, with an insightful and considered look to the future that we’d all be wise to pay attention to. Of particular note is Caraher and Furey’s spotlight on the value of lived experience and citizen voices in the development of food policy. The specific chapter on school meals and infant feeding should be required reading for anyone involved in budget setting, outlining as it does the false economy of NOT investing properly in these vital areas. Beth Bell, Co-Chair, Belfast Food Partnership

Food policy in the UK has a long and convoluted history and this book offers a compelling and engaging analysis of its evolution from the public health reforms of the 1840s to the present-day concerns with climate change. Far from being a laundry list of one damn thing after another, the book has distinctive and impressive narrative arc as it traces societal struggles to wrest food policy from its original role as a tool of vested interests to an instrument of moral economy, human wellbeing and social justice. One of the great merits of this historical perspective is that it demonstrates that food policy is not at all a linear process of ever more progressive reform, but an uneven and contested process that can regress as well as advance. In this sense the book offers a sobering corrective to the conventional idea that food policy is simply an evidence-based policy process. Kevin Morgan – Author of Serving the Public: the good food revolution in schools, hospitals and prisons

This book provides a readable and erudite synthesis of how food policy has evolved in the UK over the last 200 years. It provides a logical, and therefore memorable, structure for the reader, building from the early principles and programmes of the 1840s to the present day, effectively illuminating the key transitions with thoughtful examples and explanations. This style of revelation keeps the history relevant, and helps our understanding of why we are where we are today. Appropriately, the book finishes with a deeper dive into two currently very salient issues, school meals and social determinants of obesity, before offering some intellectual bets on the future. The accessibility of the text means that this book should not only appeal to historians, but also to all who eat food in this modern world. Donald A.P. Bundy, Professor of Epidemiology and Development, LSHTM, and Director of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, an initiative of the global School Meals Coalition.

UK Food Policy History is an accessible and engrossing journey through the decisions, influences, interventions and missteps that have shaped the UK’s food system. Despite its weighty title, the book is anything but dense. Martin Caraher and Sinead Furey have crafted a clear, thoughtful narrative that should appeal to both seasoned policy professionals and curious newcomers.

Having spent two decades working to understand and influence fairer food systems in the UK – with no formal grounding in the UK’s food policy history – I found this book to be an invaluable resource. It bridges a crucial gap, offering context that deepens understanding for anyone passionate about improving our food system.

What stands out for me is the authors’ ability to shine a light on the diverse range of policy interventions over time – from the well-designed to the poorly conceived, from deliberate strategies to accidental consequences. The book sheds light on how the UK ended up with its current predominantly industrial food system, with so many unable to access good, healthy food.

In a current era marked by volatility and rapid change, strategic yet agile food policymaking is more important than ever. This book provides the historical insight needed to navigate that complexity, and should be used to inform better options for the future.

Whether you work in policymaking, advocacy or simply care deeply about food systems and their impact on society, UK Food Policy History is an essential and enlightening read. Dan Crossley, Executive Director, Food Ethics Council

Britain’s relationship with food has been the butt of jokes but also of fascinating and at times ruthless politics. Making sense of how the state, business and society tussle over decisions about the way forward requires not just scholarship but clarity about what policy actually is. This book provides a fascinating account of major themes in Britain’s policy debates and links with reality over the last two centuries. A really useful volume drawing upon a wide range of data and academic disciplines. Professor Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food Policy

This timely history provides critical context to developing policies aimed at executing UK Government’s manifesto commitment to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Just as it proves impossible to ignore the reality that this objective is too limited in scope given the scale of wider severe food insecurity, Caraher and Furey highlight origins of the myth that the redistribution of food waste can address food poverty. In 2014, the APPG Inquiry into Hunger and Food Poverty made no less than six ‘recommendations focused on strengthening infrastructure and systems to support the diversion of food surplus from food retailers to instead be used by charitable food providers’. If we are to see an end for the need for charitable food provision in this country, it’s vital that we acknowledge not only the breadth of the charitable food aid sector but the extent to which we must reverse the trend of normalising hunger. As the authors put it: ‘Systems that encourage the use of waste and surplus food, including donations, exacerbate exclusion and excess food rather than overcome them, as they do not ultimately address the underlying socio-economic causes. Sabine Goodwin, Director of the Independent Food Aid Network

Having collaborated with Martin Caraher and Sinéad Furey in the past, I can personally attest to the depth, rigor, and scientific integrity that characterize their work. Their ability to weave historical, social, and political insights into a coherent analysis of food policy is exceptional, and this book is yet another demonstration of their intellectual clarity and methodological precision.

One of the most compelling aspects of the volume lies in the authors’ reflection on how societies remember—or fail to remember—the evolution of food policy. Quoting Orwell in 1984, they recall that “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” Building on this provocation, they write: “While we are not suggesting that official agencies are deliberately blocking the past, we are convinced that there is policy amnesia from era to era with constant reinvention of policy and approaches.” This observation resonates deeply with anyone working in policy domains, where institutional memory is often fragile and strategic learning is not guaranteed.

What Caraher and Furey highlight is therefore not only relevant to understanding the trajectory of UK food policy, but crucial for all policy arenas. Their analysis shows how forgetting precedents, actors, and past approaches leads to cycles of reinvention that limit the effectiveness of long‑term governance. For this reason, the lessons emerging from the UK context are highly valuable for the broader European debate. The European Union, currently facing complex transitions in food systems, sustainability, and public health, would benefit greatly from engaging with the historical patterns and policy mechanisms illuminated in this book.

This volume is an indispensable contribution for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to build more coherent, historically aware, and future‑oriented food policies. Professor Alessio Cavicchi, Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Marketing in Agrifood Systems and Rural Areas

This book is an absolute gift for anyone working in the area or wanting to influence food policy for public health. Each chapter helps the reader unpack aspects of the history of why key UK food policies were initiated, what happened, what worked and what failed? Rather than muddling through the food policy quagmire, this book brings a critical, mature and nuanced perspective on the context in which policy is created and how to approach it. The authors help explain why it is essential to consider citizens’ influence, political persuasions, the whole food system, and joined-up policy. The repeated experience of political amnesia in UK food policy from the 1840s to the current day is instructive, and a reminder for all policy makers to look back to inform the future. Examining UK food policy from the 1800s to current day with detailed case-studies, critiques, and exploring policy drivers, provides insights into today’s context, e.g., famines, wars, food safety and food control. There are many real-world examples of the dynamics of power and control in the food system and how this has changed over the decades – yet somehow strangely remained the same. Most UK policies described are relevant today, particularly the arguments for regulatory approaches and the importance of considering policy as a tool to protect people and the planet. Creativity, innovation, risk taking and collaboration underpin successful food policy. Considering policy failures from a distance (in time) is a very useful undertaking, and one that is highly recommended. Learnings apply to all countries, and the authors provide ways to critically analyse existing policy ideas, incredibly useful for practitioners, students and teachers. A learned and deep-thinking thesis on food policy. I really enjoyed the narrative on social protection and food policy – and am mindful of the many mis- or uninformed policy debates occurring currently. This book is a must read for anyone interested in influencing food in ways that benefit health, agriculture, social structures, social norms, the environment, and much more. Professor Christina Pollard, Professor Public Health Priorities, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Western Australia and former Government food policy advisor for 20+ years.

This exceptional book is a must read for anyone remotely interested in in food, food policy, sociology, or politics in general. Building on and complementing the authors’ 2023 volume Food Policy in the United Kingdom, this current monograph charts UK food policy history from the 1840s to the present day. It is right up to date, capturing Trump’s tariff megaphone diplomacy and TACO eventuality, however this scholarly tome highlights the value of knowing what did and did not work in the past in order to avoid similar pitfalls. In-depth analysis of economic, social, and political influences point out that what worked in the 1940s will not necessarily work in the 2020s. In a time of fake news, Martin Caraher and Sinéad Furey warn against how history can be reframed and repackaged to suit the winners—whereas songs are mostly written by the losers. Having this impeccably researched book by one’s side quickly confirms fact from fiction. This will be a cherished resource for policy makers, teachers, students and any politically curious gastronome, and will hopefully lead to better food policy for all citizens. Dr. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Chair MA Gastronomy & Food Studies, Technological University Dublin

The chapter on School Meals and Infant Feeding provides a thorough account of school food policy, that covers infant feeding, school meals, breakfast clubs, nutritional standards, food education within the curriculum, holiday hunger, and the different policies in the devolved nations. It offers a critical, and in-depth discussion, of how school food policy intersects with social justice, exploring how meals can be nutritious, and integrated into learning. Perhaps most importantly, this chapter provides a critical discussion of how complex systems interact and how government policy impacts on subsequent funding streams, access to free school meals, and the nutritional quality of school meals. In addition, the chapter provides a comprehensive account of how food should be integrated into the curriculum, school culture and communities, especially during the school holidays. The chapter is essential for academics, policymakers, teachers, and public health practitioners aiming to reform school food systems. Professor Greta Defeyter, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Northumbria University

At Trussell, our vision is to end the need for food banks across the UK. We understand the drivers of hunger and hardship, the risks and causes of food bank use, and—crucially—the solutions required to end hunger. UK Food Policy History demonstrates how a complex interplay of policies, political narratives, and social and economic influences has shaped the present-day food system and the continued reliance on food banks.

The book invites the reader to step back and examine shifting attitudes towards poverty and hunger over time. It highlights incremental progress across different eras, alongside a recurring recognition that society has a responsibility to support those experiencing poverty, particularly children. However, it also exposes a persistent “policy amnesia” that allows political mistakes to be repeatedly remade. Particularly striking is the way economic pressures and food production have driven political narratives towards individualism and personal responsibility—such as a focus on obesity—rather than addressing the structural inequalities that underpin poverty and hunger.

For the reader, the book offers valuable insight into how economic and environmental crises have shaped food policy, including the relationship between capitalist mass production and consumerism. Its exploration of geopolitics, climate change, and agricultural policy helps explain the tensions and priorities that continue to influence UK food policy discourse.