Rebecca Wells

Against the grain: as prices and temperatures rise, can Japan learn to love imported rice? The political and cultural insulation of Japan’s beloved grain is falling apart, and experts warn the country’s relationship with the staple will have to adapt

Against the grain: as prices and temperatures rise, can Japan learn to love imported rice? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Exploring pathways for world development within planetary boundaries Nature - Current trends imply that we will transgress most of the planetary boundaries by 2050; however, ambitious, urgent and universal action to ameliorate climate change and increase resource...

With current trends and policies, we'll transgress all planetary boundaries in 2050, except for ozone depletion. Targeted interventions — e.g., the Paris Agreement — can help, but not enough. More effective policy measures are needed to ensure we live well within the planetary boundaries.

DfE confirms paltry 3p UIFSM funding rise 1.2% increase is far below predicted rises in food and wage costs

Policies such as free school meals and breakfast clubs can be a real lifeline to families who are struggling, but if they are going to be done on the cheap then their impact will be greatly diminished.They simply must be fully funded
schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-confirms...

Will rising child poverty be Labour’s legacy? – Politics Weekly UK The government began to roll out its free breakfast club scheme this week as part of plans to help struggling families. But with predictions that child poverty could increase by the end of this parlia...

Yesterday, I spoke
@johnharris1969.bsky.social
for the Guardian political podcast, exploring the harsh realities of child poverty—and how it’s hitting our schools and shaping children’s futures.
www.theguardian.com/politics/aud...

'What about if you were to scrap the two child benefit cap, surely that would do more than 30 minutes in a breakfast club?'

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson speaks to #BBCBreakfast about the two child benefit cap as she launches pilot project for 750 breakfast clubs

Free breakfast clubs roll out as costs for families cut by £8,000 Thousands of children to attend free breakfast clubs across the country today, as government delivers its manifesto commitment and promise to working families

Key questions for school governance and policy which are still a little unclear are what food is being served and who is providing and preparing it, and how are these meals being monitored? www.gov.uk/government/n...

Headshot of Professor Kevin Morgan looking towards the camera

We are delighted that Professor Kevin Morgan of @cugeogplan.bsky.social will be talking about his new book Serving the Public at our next #FoodThinkers webinar on Wednesday 30 April. Book your place!

www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

We are hiring! We're looking for two post-doc researchers to help us deliver a randomised controlled trial of group model building to address inequalities in diet in English local authorities.

Two 3y posts, ideally starting in July. Closing date 4 May.

Full details: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/50905/

Need more details but this looks like an interesting #foodpolicy development

We are delighted that Baroness Joan Walmsley, Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Food, Diet and Obesity, will speak about policy at our City St George's Food Policy Symposium on Thurs 15th May.

Reserve your place now.

www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Profile picture of Dr Carrie Bradshaw facing the camera

Join us tomorrow to hear Dr Carrie Bradshaw @cjbradshaw.bsky.social talk about Food waste law and regulation in the UK at our #FoodThinkers webinar, 4.00 - 5.15 pm GMT. Book your place!

www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

The Food Programme - Are We Prepared? Could the UK Feed Itself in a Crisis? - BBC Sounds Five years after the first lockdown Dan Saladino asks if food systems are better prepared.

Featuring @foodpolicycitysg.bsky.social @proftimlang.bsky.social recent landmark report on civil food resilience www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

US turns to Denmark as it hunts for eggs despite Trump’s threat over Greenland Danish Egg Association says US asked if it could export eggs as prices surge despite president’s promise to lower them

The importance of food security writ large again and no little irony as US begs Denmark and others it has attacked with tariffs for eggs amid painful avian flu driven US egg shortage www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

👀 the fabulous policy scholar Paul Cairney on policy coherence, integration and whole of government approaches… open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-7...

US grass-fed beef is as carbon intensive as industrial beef and ≈10-fold more intensive than common protein-dense alternatives | PNAS The high resource intensity of industrial beef in high-income economies has prompted growing interest in alternative, potentially lower environment...

New research adding to the climate change and beef debate by examining grass fed beef’s impacts. Disrupts the “less but better” arguments? www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

How Ending the Department of Education Will Impact Kids With Disabilities As well as kids who are unhoused.

"History indicates that students with disabilities, Black, brown, and Indigenous students, students experiencing homelessness, immigrant children, and low-income families would suffer the most."

Read our latest op-ed here ⤵️

Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid, study says Those from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the age of 16.

Stark evidence on the impact of the pandemic on our poorest children which will impact their life chances www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BBC Two - Amazon with Bruce Parry, Episode 6 Bruce Parry reaches the end of his Amazon adventure in Brazil's Para state.

Essential viewing for food policy - up close: power, destruction and corruption leading to environmental degradation and deforestation, in the service of our desire for cheap meat www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Super great to have Rebecca Williams give a hybrid lecture "High Steaks: Climate Change, Cattle and the International Legal Order" to our students and other guests.
@wellsrebecca.bsky.social @citystgeorges.bsky.social @foodpolicycitysg.bsky.social

There was a lot of concern about this seemingly sudden announcement in audience at London City Food Lecture last night particularly from NFU. With Government already out of favour with farming communities on inheritance tax, building positive relationships on a Food Strategy is going to be hard.

At the glorious Guildhall in the City of London for the City Food and Drink Lecture. Wonderful that our @foodpolicycitysg.bsky.social students can come to the Future Generations Forum to learn from food sector leaders. @citystgeorges.bsky.social

Our next virtual open evening is this Wednesday, 11 March from 4 - 5 pm GMT.

www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Hear MSc Food Policy Course Director Dr Rebecca Wells @wellsrebecca.bsky.social talk about our unique degree programme, ask about the course and meet other prospective students.

The importance of seeing the bigger picture and impacts across all parts of the food system when making food policy.

Sustainable Diets pioneer...Gussow & Clancy (1986) #foodsystems #foodpolicy

Agree - and the funding is piecemeal and not always guaranteed/long term. We also don’t yet have very established regional models unlike local food partnerships

Reform MP Rupert Lowe hits back at party leadership after losing whip MP accused of threatening party chair says dealing with leadership is like smashing his head against a brick wall

So there are now equal numbers of Reform and @greenparty.org.uk MPs. Will we now get equal media time?

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Guardian view on fixing England’s local democracy: reforming structures is the means, not the end | Editorial Editorial: There is a danger of vital policy getting tangled in ambitious government plans that combine council restructuring with devolution

In an era when local food partnerships are driving food systems change, what do these reforms and devolution mean for food policy? What could a reformed and coherent local/regional/national food strategy look like? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Great to see this work launched in Jersey today. Thanks to our colleagues in Jersey and @kellyparsons.bsky.social and Alexia Sawyer in the @mrcepid.bsky.social for their excellent work and for a really enjoyable and collaborative process. Looking forward to the next phase...

Donald Trump’s tariffs will bring ‘nothing but pain’ to rural America, farmers say Agriculture industry warns customers are looking elsewhere for key commodities

“Contrary to what the president thinks, this means nothing but pain,” said Aaron Lehman, head of the Iowa Farmers Union.

www.ft.com/content/ba45...

‘Schools Bill’ should auto-enrol children for free school meals – Education Committee report - Committees - UK Parliament The Education Committee has told the Government it should use its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to remove the requirement to apply for free school meals for eligible children from low-in...

I’ve long called for auto-enrolment for free school meals — great to see the Education Committee back this. 1 in 10 eligible children miss out due to admin barriers. Auto-enrolment ensures all children get the support they’re entitled to and promotes social justice for our schoolchildren.