UK Biotech and Biological Science Research Council

London 2013

1. Work with the Global Food Security (GFS) program, a cross- government research coordination mechanism, to scale up engagement on nutrition-related research.

2. Work with CGIAR’s HarvestPlus to organize a UK and international scientific workshop on next-generation bio fortified crops and bioavailability.

3. Work with research councils and other partners to develop a networked approach to nutrition and health.

Reported progress

1. As part of a new cross-government cross-UKRI interdisciplinary research programme to transform the food system for healthy people and a healthy environment, we have supported four large consortia worth just under £25 million and 11 projects worth £14M. These projects span different demographic groups and communities, and address issues such as food access and choice, food environments, reformulation, healthy consumption of novel foodstuffs and the interaction between diet and health. We have also started training the first cohort of a £5 million Centre for Doctoral Training to develop the next generation of food system thinkers, who can bring nutrition into the many related issues across the food system. We have published a report outlining a policy toolbox for food system transformation, including nutrition policies, and a case study report applying this approach to public procurement. We have also just commissioned a report on how covid-19 impacted the food system to understand the lessons that might be learned. The GFS programme is currently in the process of refreshing its strategy, which will feature healthy people and a healthy environment at its core.

2. In the run-up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021, UKRI-BBSRC convened an Independent Dialogue event of the 5 July 2021 to contribute to the Summit's vision and objectives to bring about tangible, positive changes to build a better future global food system that is strong, safe and fair for all. The scope of the dialogue event included biofortified crops and bioavailability.

3. UKRI-BBSRC co-funded a UK Food Safety network with the Food Standards Agency. The Quadram Institute was awarded £1.16M in May 2022 to run the network over a two year period, with the main objective to build capability and capacity across the food safety research and innovation community in the UK.