Let’s talk balanced

Chris Packham.

No, don’t stop reading, I am about to make an important point. Chris Packham has recently appeared across social media as the self-appointed spokesperson for a group of organisations, charities and individuals who have taken exception to AHDB’s Let’s Eat Balanced campaign.

In a somewhat whiney letter to three secretaries of state (Steve Reed, Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband) he and his group of ‘plant-based health professionals’, his words not mine, opine that, “The AHDB is not currently fit for purpose” and that, “Instead of promoting meat, the Government should use similar publicity campaigns to drive up the consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole foods, and communicate the health and sustainability benefits of plant-based whole foods to the public”.

A quick look at his co-signatories shows that many are based overseas in places such as Los Angeles, Bogota and The Netherlands whilst others, from UK-based charities, have CEOs who are paid northwards of £100,000 per annum.

Among the others is an organisation called The Food Foundation. I understand from highly reliable sources that it has managed to gain the ear of Government officials with its views now carrying more weight than the well-established British Nutritional Foundation (BNF). Apparently when challenged about this shift, it was claimed that while the BNF is taking money from industry, its views are probably less reliable than the views of others.

Looking at its last available set of accounts on Companies House, I see that, under income, it says: “Grants (including Government grants) are included in the Statement of Financial Activities…”. In 2023, its Government grants (taxpayer’s money) amounted to £195,368. It then added, “when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance related conditions attached to the grant have been met…”

As a taxpayer myself, I am not sure that any charity has any entitlement to Government grants. The Food Foundation’s aims include “increasing vegetable consumption - We work to drive up the UK’s low intake of veg”.

Space doesn’t permit me to go through the finances of the other signatories, but no doubt, many of them will also have a sense of “entitlement” to taxpayers’ money, whereas AHDB’s campaign is funded by the farmer and processor levy that many of you pay.

The letter continues: “Instead of sponsoring this group [AHDB], the Government must shift the focus of support and marketing campaigns to the horticulture sector and its products; vegetables, fruits, legumes and wholegrains - these are the foods the UK is eating too little of”. I wonder whether some of those who signed the letter perhaps feel that they were bounced into supporting it without the need to undertake a bit of research as to what Let’s Eat Balanced recipe suggestions are promoting in terms of ingredients.

Besides beef, lamb, pork and dairy, the recipes include: Bulgar wheat, tomatoes (tinned, puree, plum and cherry), onions, broccoli, strawberries, peppers, lemon, lime, herbs, spinach, courgettes, chickpeas, pomegranate, raspberries, garlic, carrots, wholegrain rice, red cabbage, radish, oats, chia seeds, bananas, cucumber, brown rice, edamame beans, onions (spring, brown and red), almonds, apricots, a wide range of herbs and spices, mixed grains and pulses, flax seeds, blackberries, sweet potatoes, potatoes (from baby to baking), kale, cavolo nero, beetroot, shallots, quinoa, peas, soya beans, couscous, ginger, kimchi, along with other fruits, vegetables and plant-based foods, too numerous to list. This looks to me like a fulsome list of the types of foods that Mr Packham, Mr Vince, Dr Van Tulleken et al, the signatories of the letter, wish to see promoted by Government and paid for by the taxpayer.

Maybe, rather than seeing AHDB as some sort of food fifth columnists who, in the opinion of Packham et al are “…effectively a body solely promoting the interests of the animal farming sector”, they should consider this: that well-constructed campaigns such as Let’s Eat Balanced that are in line with Government guidance (The Eatwell Plate) be seen as public health campaigns that do actually deliver an increased consumption of “vegetables, fruits, legumes, and wholegrains”.