Fixing food: Time to rethink from the ground up
In the UK - one of the world’s wealthiest economies - food insecurity is rising. This is not a reflection of absolute scarcity, but of systemic dysfunction. The food system, shaped by decades of inequality and market dependency, fails to guarantee universal access to nutritious food. Even as edible surplus goes to waste, millions are unable to afford or access what they need to live healthily and enjoy a “good life”.
This fragility is not incidental; it is embedded by design. Recent government data reflects this ongoing erosion. The UK Food Security Report 2024 documents a steady decline in the proportion of households deemed ‘highly food secure’ since 2020. This is not a temporary shock, but a long-term structural failure, disproportionately affecting those already marginalised - poorer households, younger people, and disabled individuals. Food insecurity is no longer peripheral; it is widespread, persistent, and systemically reproduced.
At the same time, the material conditions of food production are deteriorating. Climate shocks, including the UK’s wettest 18-month period on record, have severely impacted domestic fruit and vegetable output. Coupled with declining soil health and reduced natural capital, this has deepened dependence on volatile global supply chains. As domestic self-sufficiency wanes, the UK loses agency over one of its most fundamental systems: the capacity to feed its population. Farmers, the backbone of our food systems, are trapped in unsustainable cycles of low margins, rising operational costs, and mounting climate-related risks.
Despite these dynamics, dominant narratives continue to depoliticise food insecurity. Public discourse routinely reduces the crisis to individual choice or market fluctuation, obscuring the reality: this is a failure of policy, vision, and institutional design. What is needed is not minor reform, but a fundamental reconfiguration - a whole systems approach that centres social equity, environmental sustainability, and democratic control.
Crucially, public sentiment is aligned with this analysis. People want government action. They want meaningful change that grants greater autonomy and power for farmers and local communities. Rather than fearing a “nanny state", citizens engaged in extensive public dialogue with the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission supporting government-led transformation. 78% of respondents believe major change is necessary. Three in four say the government is not doing enough to ensure universal access to healthy food. These findings challenge assumptions about public resistance to state intervention. Instead, they signal a mandate for decisive action - one rooted in justice and collective responsibility.
The Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) is exploring how such transitions can be practically realised. This week, the IGP convened a Flourish Forum at Refettorio Felix, a community kitchen in West London. Part of a national series, these forums are grounded in the concept of Universal Basic Services (UBS) - an integrated policy framework that redefines access to core social infrastructure as a right, not a commodity. UBS moves beyond minimalist safety nets, envisioning universal provisioning systems that support dignity, wellbeing, and ecological security. This isn’t just about access. It’s about designing more just urban futures, together.
The forum created space for imagining alternative service provision grounded in social solidarity, public luxury, and mutual joy. From food volunteers to community leaders, participants spoke not only of scarcity but of solidarity, dignity, and care. Community food initiatives are operating at the limits of a broken system - “relying on surplus food, relying on supermarkets… relying on their waste while they are benefitting financially from it”. What emerged clearly is that food provisioning must be reimagined as part of a broader social infrastructure - one that supports autonomy, not dependency. This means designing systems that are place-based, participatory, and responsive to local realities. The conditions for flourishing are different in every context. As such, solutions must be co-created with communities. If we want to flourish, we need to invest in our social foundations while utilising the convening power of food as an entry point for building communal bonds and collective care in local contexts. We need to shift from crisis management to envisioning alternative infrastructures. As participants agreed, we must “imagine a better future of what could exist”.
Participants expressed how rare and energising it was simply to have space for these conversations. As one attendee shared: “We are so maxed out just keeping our heads down. It is so valuable having these conversations - it energises, feeds, and supports each other.” Such spaces are not peripheral; they are foundational for building healthier and more just urban environments, together.
This ethos underpins the IGP’s contribution to the London Design Biennale 2025. Our exhibition, Designing for Prosperity, explores how inclusive, community-led innovation can transform urban futures. It showcases how prosperity can be re-defined through collaborative design, citizen science, and systems-led experimentation. From improving women’s safety in public spaces to inclusive, affordable communal dining models, it explores innovative pathways to secure livelihoods, healthy urban environments, democratic voices, and cohesive communities.
The future of food, and indeed of public prosperity, cannot be left to market correction. It demands investment in public systems that prioritise care, justice, and resilience. It demands new institutions and new imaginaries. The challenge is significant - but the opportunity is greater. With coordinated action, an equitable, secure, and flourishing future is possible.