Food for Life Partnership
The Soil Association led Food for Life Partnership is a national programme funded through a £16.9M grant by the Big Lottery Fund. Our network of schools and communities across England is committed to transforming food culture by:
- Revolutionising school meals to be fresh, seasonal, local and organic
- Reconnecting young people with where their food comes from
- Inspiring families and communities to grow and cook food
This is because we passionately believe that regardless of geography, background or experience, every child deserves good food.
Working together
The Food for Life Partnership consists of the following partner organisations, working together to support changes in food culture in our schools:
- Soil Association
- Focus on Food
- Health Education Trust
- Garden Organic
Our partnership evolved out of a growing concern that individuals and communities are getting more and more detached from how food is produced, and losing the skills and knowledge needed to take active control over what we eat.
Transforming food culture
The health of our nation is struggling with diet related ill-health problems and obesity. The facts are worrying...
- The British Medical Association predicts that by 2020, over one quarter of children will be obese and they will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
- Overreliance on convenience food is also eroding our food culture. More than half of meals are now eaten alone.
- Over 30% of our climate change footprint comes from the food we eat.
To tackle these problems, we know we need to do more than just target young people with messages about health and sustainability.
The Food for Life Partnership has a vision of healthy and climate-friendly school meals for all, using seasonal, fresh, local and organic ingredients. We want to inspire young people and their families to make food a priority by giving them the chance to visit farms and to cook and grow their own food.
Any school in England can join the Food for Life Partnership. We offer an action framework and award scheme to support the transition to healthier food culture and recognise school for their achievements.