With Andy Burnham marching towards Number 10, now may be a good time to assess his record on food policy as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Clearly, he has focused less on agriculture or food production and more on tackling food insecurity, child hunger and the wider social determinants of health. While food has never been his primary policy area, he has consistently treated access to nutritious food as part of a broader strategy to reduce poverty and improve public health.
The flagship initiative has been “No Child Should Go Hungry”, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded into a longer-term programme. Working with charities and businesses, the campaign provided emergency food support when schools were closed, then during school holidays. Over time, Burnham repositioned the initiative away from crisis response alone and towards tackling the root causes of poverty through employment, early intervention and community partnerships.
Perhaps his most ambitious contribution was making Greater Manchester the first Combined Authority in England to formally endorse a Right to Food. Burnham argued that access to sufficient, nutritious food should ultimately become a legal right, backed by national legislation as part of the National Food Strategy. His administration also established a Food Security Action Network, bringing together local authorities, voluntary organisations, businesses and public health experts to coordinate action on food insecurity.
There are clear strengths to this approach. Burnham has succeeded in making food insecurity a mainstream political issue rather than one left solely to charities. His emphasis on partnership working has attracted supermarkets, football clubs, community organisations and local government into a common effort. The integration of food policy with health, employment and social care reflects growing evidence that these issues cannot be solved in isolation. Greater Manchester has also invested heavily in mapping food insecurity and targeting support where it is most needed, helping resources reach vulnerable communities more effectively.
There are, however, legitimate criticisms. Much of Burnham’s agenda has concentrated on food poverty rather than the wider food system. Issues such as supporting British farmers, strengthening domestic food production, improving supply chain resilience and encouraging food manufacturing have so far not been within his wheelhouse.
Critics have argued that many initiatives rely on voluntary partnerships and charitable support, limiting their long-term sustainability without greater national funding. Furthermore, many of the structural drivers of food insecurity, including welfare policy, inflation and household incomes, of course remain outside the powers of a metro mayor.
Overall, Burnham’s record demonstrates that local government can play an important role in coordinating action on food insecurity and child hunger. His policies have been strongest where they have brought together public services, charities and communities around shared objectives.
However, a truly comprehensive food policy would need to go much much further, with stronger support for domestic food production, supply chains and long-term national food security.
