Making food more affordable and accessible is vital, as is creating a food environment that makes it easier for Londoners to make healthy choices. This report from Sustain puts a spotlight on action at local authority level to support the health and nutrition of London families, and improvements in joined-up action on food.
This edition marks the 12th year of tracking council progress on food in London, and this year 29 out of 33 London councils took part in the annual survey examining food in the capital. The Sustain team has developed a set of measures aligned with Sustainable Food Places’ six key themes. As a result, there are new sections on community food action, catering and procurement, and the section on ‘food access for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people’ has been expanded to encompass work on ethnic and cultural diversity across all six key themes.
Other pressing issues measured in the report include how councils tackle household food insecurity, promote healthy diets, support a flourishing local food economy, and address the role of food in the climate and nature emergency. All of these affect the way we eat, our health and the communities we live in.
The report highlights considerable progress across the capital, with councils prioritising work on food despite ongoing pressure on councils to support residents through a cost-of-living crisis. There is a notable increase in the number of boroughs developing food partnerships and food strategies, to embed longer-term, whole-systems approaches to transforming their local food systems.
Key figures
- 25% of Londoners in poverty after housing costs
- Just 72-hours worth of food - London relies on 'just-in-time supply'
- 99% of London's food comes from outside the city
- 2.3 million tonnes of food wasted across London's supply chain yearly
- 213,382 emergency food parcels given out over six months in 2023
- 13 London boroughs host peri-urban or fringe farms
Recommendations
The report recommends action on six key themes:
- Food governance and strategy
- Food growing and other community food action
- Sustainable food economy
- Catering and procurement
- Food for the planet
- Healthy food for all
Read the report for the full breakdown.
