Powerful calls to action for children’s food from FFL conference

Food for Life, A Soil Association Programme, hosted its national conference last Thursday (13th February) to address children’s food for health and sustainability in 2020.

The conference brought together leaders in food and health, to focus on children’s food through the combined lenses of health and sustainability.

Headline speakers Henry Dimbleby MBE and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall drew attention to the nation’s ongoing crises in childhood health and food systems, and presented the inaugural 'Peter Melchett Award' to an exemplary Food for Life school, which has made an outstanding contribution through food to nurture the health and wellbeing of its pupils.

Blackawton Primary School, winners of the Peter Melchett Award

Blackawton were worthy winners, with a fantastic commitment to Food For Life principles and the outcomes it delivers for pupils and the school.

The children at Blackawton are really engaged with food growing, cooking and sustainability at their schools.
 

Pictured: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Blackawton Primary School teachers

About the conference

The conference gave policy makers, food and health organisations, people working in education, and our partners the opportunity to discuss how local and national food strategy, and public procurement, can radically alter the landscape for sustainable, healthy diets.

James Cashmore, Deputy CEO of the Soil Association, said

“We have been inspired by hearing about the transformation of food culture in Copenhagen where 90% of all food eaten not just in schools but across the entire city is organic, and pupils spend a week of their term learning to cook alongside catering teams. There is much that we can learn from the example they have set, and above all they have shown what is possible.”

Find out more about the conference, speakers and highlights of the day.

Find out more about the Soil Association's Food For Life programme.