15 November 2024

This report by Professor Tim Jackson, commissioned by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) offers a comprehensive estimate of the food-related cost of chronic disease, caused by the UK’s current food system. It finds that the costs of Britain’s unhealthy food system amount to £268 billion every year – almost equivalent to the total annual UK healthcare spend. The analysis combines direct costs, including healthcare costs, social care costs and welfare, and indirect costs, including the loss of productivity and human costs.