HM Government have recently published the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,1 an important mark in the sand of the UK’s progress on the SDGs. Our work to improve the food system and make it easier for everyone in the UK to have healthy and sufficient diets aligns most closely with SDG Goal 2 of Zero Hunger. While the VNR highlights some progress made towards achieving SDG 2, much further work is needed. Last year we contributed to UKSSD’s Measuring Up Report which showed that the UK is not performing well enough on all SDG 2 targets.2 This is particularly true for Target 2.2 on ending all forms of malnutrition,where we found there to be insufficient action in place that would adequately address the issues in the UK.
Malnutrition in all its forms in the UK is illustrated by the increasing rates of food insecurity and obesity; serious challenges which often co-exist. In the UK, 8.4 million people are living in food insecure households.3 61% of adults are either overweight or obese, which is contributing to increasing rates of non-communicable diseases and rising costs to our health care system.4 While the prevalence of people who are underweight is relatively low in the UK, low levels of micro-nutrient intake are surprisingly high due to diets rich in energy-dense but nutrient-poor foods, particularly among those on a low income. This is a result of a food system in which unhealthy calories are three times less expensive than healthy ones and tightening household resources.
