BRADFORD’S new Darley Street Market hosted the launch of a national strategy to make the country’s food industry healthier and more secure.
Minister for Food Security Daniel Zeichner visited the £31m market on Tuesday morning, and said he was “knocked out” by the city centre facility.
He was there to announce the Government’s ‘Good Food Cycle’ – a strategy that aims to create “healthier eating, stronger food security and greener supply chains”.
During his visit, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) about the importance of offering people healthy choices, especially in places like Bradford, where some areas are dominated by unhealthy takeaway businesses.
The new strategy aims to build a “thriving food sector while tackling challenges from rising obesity rates to climate change impacts on production, representing a pivotal milestone in the government’s work to develop a comprehensive food strategy”.
One aim is to improve public health and reduce obesity levels.
At Tuesday’s visit to the market Mr Zeichner spoke to traders and those involved in the Food Savers Cookery School, a stall run by charity Inn Churches that teaches people how to cook healthy meals from scratch.
Talking about the market, he said: “I’m knocked out by it. I go around a lot of cities and see a lot of markets. Most places would give anything to have something like this.”
The key outcomes of the strategy are to
- Support healthier and more environmentally sustainable food sales
- Improve access for all to safe, affordable, healthy, convenient and appealing food options
- Create conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity
Mr Zeichner told the LDRS that the country had a successful food industry, but more needed doing to ensure people had a healthier diet.
He referred to a report by Henry Dimbleby several years ago that highlighted the high levels of junk food eaten in the UK.
He said people wanted to try healthy food but added: “In too many places people don’t have that kind of choice. We need to take the next step towards a more healthy food system.
Image: LDRS
“People need to have options, too often there is not much choice for people when it comes to food.
“If you live in an area where the only choice is taken aways it limits your options.”
In 2014 Bradford Council introduced a planning policy that prevented take aways from opening within 400m of a school or park.
The LDRS asked Mr Zeichner if similar legislation would be introduced nationwide. He said: “Local people are best placed to make decisions like that.
“There is a lot to be said for policies like that, but that is for local decision makers.
“We want to make sure business have the confidence to invest in healthier practices.”
He praised the market’s Food Savers stall, saying: “It is a good opportunity for people to understand where their food comes from.”
Presenting the report, Mr Zeichner praised Bradford’s “rich food culture”.
He said the new policy had been developed after consulting hundreds of stakeholders, and said healthy eating needed to involve everyone “from a supermarket boss to someone making Sunday lunch”.
After his speech Zulfi Karim, founder of the World Curry Festival, asked: “In Bradford healthy food initiatives have come unstuck when it came down to consumer choice and people choosing fast food.
“What incentives will the Government give to businesses to move into healthier foods? One of the biggest challenges will be to get small businesses to make healthier provisions.”
Mr Zeichner said the Government would work with local businesses, adding: “We’re not in the business of telling people what they should do, but we want people to have the option to make better choices in what they eat.”
When asked if the Government would introduce legal changes to make the strategy a success he said: “There is lots we can do, but if there needs to be new legislation then that’s what we’ll do.”
Cllr Sue Duffy, portfolio holder for children and families, said: “Having a clear direction on food policy is vital if we are to tackle some of the key issues that affect communities in our district, such as food poverty and obesity while also supporting our food producers and protecting our environment.”
