Sarah Dyke, the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, held a parliamentary debate on UK Food Security. In the debate, she highlighted the importance of taking a holistic approach to food security and ensuring that the UK has accessible, healthy food that can be grown for generations to come.

The debate on Tuesday 19th March, was well attended by fellow MPs, who discussed a range of issues, including planning regulations and the plight of tenant farmers.

In the debate, Sarah Dyke was keen to stress how crucial it is that people are able to access healthy food. She told fellow MPs that the current food system encourages the proliferation of ultra-processed food, which has damaging effects on health. It is estimated that by 2035, 40% of people in the UK will have obesity.

Forecasts suggest that, by then, the NHS will be spending £15bn on treating type 2 diabetes, 1.5 times as much as is currently spent on cancer treatment.

Sarah Dyke argued that in order to maintain UK food security, we must ensure that we support farmers, while also looking after the long-term health of the environment that allows food production.

Speaking after the debate, the MP for Somerton and Frome said: "Food security is one of the most important challenges the country is facing and I was delighted to bring this topic before Parliament for debate.

 "It is vital that we support farmers to produce food at home, especially more fruit and vegetables. We must also ensure that healthy food is available and affordable for everyone.

"The current food market is flooded with ultra-processed food that is damaging our health and leaving people without sufficient nourishment. The Food Foundation found that the poorest 20% of households would need to spend half of their disposable income on food in order to afford the NHS's recommended healthy diet. It is about time we changed this.

 "I am calling for a land use strategy and horticulture plan to help us identify where we can best grow food such as fruit and vegetables, whilst also encouraging more local food cycles, such as local farms supplying food to local schools.

 "This is how we can create a thriving food culture of which we can all be proud."