New UK PM Burnham urged to put food on a par with defence and energy

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) - A fresh food shock in Britain is only a matter of time after years of disruptions that have driven up prices, more than 100 organisations said in a letter urging new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make food a national priority alongside defence and energy.

Signatories, including food retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's and dairy producer Danone, called on Burnham to urgently introduce a "Good Food Bill" to improve food security, resilience and public health.

The letter, published on Thursday, said Britain's food system had suffered repeated shocks in recent years, with farmers and growers facing rising costs and increasing pressure from climate change and nature loss.

It noted that together, these pressures are contributing to higher food prices, which are forecast to be 50% higher by November than at the start of Britain's cost of living crisis in 2021, according to research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.

"The next food shock is not a question of if, but when. To meet it prepared, food has to stop being an afterthought for the Government," the letter, organised by charity the Food Foundation, said.

It warned that wildfires across Europe and heightened geopolitical tensions had exposed the fragility of the UK's food system, while diet-related disease had reached record levels.

The proposed legislation would create a legal framework for food policy, including targets to reduce childhood obesity, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, boost the proportion of produce grown in Britain and cut household food insecurity.

Other signatories included retailers Aldi, the Co-op and Waitrose, food producer Greencore and investment company Rathbones.

In May, the UK government led by then prime minister Keir Starmer ruled out mandatory supermarket price caps, but said it was ‌in talks with the sector on ways to ease cost-of-living pressures partly driven by the Iran war.

(Reporting by James DaveyEditing by Ros Russell)