“The latest estimates of the total health-related hidden costs of the UK’s dysfunctional food system amount to £298 billion per year, up by 10% since 2024.”
By Sarah Woolley
We’re calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to deliver a ‘Right to Food’.
Over the last six months, we have toured the country, taking evidence from communities as part of the work of the Right to Food Commission, backed by Right to Food Campaign, the University of Westminster, BFAWU, and the Food and Work Network.
Our community evidence found:
- Food insecurity is as much about dignity as it is about food
- Food insecurity is a problem of income and affordability not food availability
- Food insecurity reflects wider inequalities
- The food system is propped up by waste and ultra-processed foods
- The food system is shaped by the wider social environment
- Prevention and income adequacy are more effective than crisis response
- Legal recognition of the right to food must be backed by clear action and accountability
The latest estimates of the total health-related hidden costs of the UK’s dysfunctional food system amount to £298 billion per year, up by 10% since 2024.
Acute food insecurity has reached crisis levels, affecting more than 14 million people in 2026 ( as measured by Trussell Trust), a number which continues to rise.
You can read the full report of our commission here.
- You can sign the petition calling on Andy Burnham to make Right to Food a reality here.
- Sarah Woolley is the General Secretary of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU). You can follow her on Twitter/X; and follow the BFAWU on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.
- This article was taken from an email sent by the GFTU and BFAWU on 8 October 2026.
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