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Simi Rezai's avatar

Thank you Mallika for this. The lack of healthy food for little ones, in hospitals and prisons is unbelievable, especially with all the facts about a healthy diet leading to better cognitive function, behaviour etc. related to our gut biome.

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Mallika Basu's avatar

Exactly this, and not much movement on the policy front either.

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Tony Mulgrew's avatar

Interesting reading. But from someone who have work in the education catering for over twenty years. It’s concerning that no one mentions the true cost of school meals ? This is a sector that has been under funded for decades.

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Mallika Basu's avatar

Oh they did, of course. There was lots in a whole evening’s worth of discussion. Worth checking with the Soil Association on the rest of the key points raised. I could have written a whole essay on it but I’ve had to pack three events in here or I’d spend my whole life writing my free newsletter. Delighted that it tweaked your interest at any rate

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Tom Guy's avatar

After similar responses to events such as sustainable food places, two things are clear. 1. Food has little/no intrinsic value beyond profit making in a free market society, with most of our food ‘manufactured’ by multinational corporations.

2. Social justice and cultural inclusion gets lost in the ‘politics’ of food, eg. Too much control = nanny state, too lax = capitalist plutocracy.

So how do we influence change makers? Henry Dimbleby authored an interesting report on the matter, Nourishing Britain, where politicians walk the fine line between hard social truths and corporate shilling. Ironically, economic growth is a poor reflection of social and cultural growth (sorry libertarians).

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Mallika Basu's avatar

Fair points. I would argue there aren’t enough change makers and that there are too many reports and not enough action. I think Henry would probably agree with me 😊. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts

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Patti Sloley's avatar

Aww Mallika, love all you write about, this is one that has got me wriggling on my sofa! A brilliant write up and one after my own heart. I love demonstrating in schools and have a few under my belt now. Kids in my experience love being exposed to different foods and flavours. I’m so excited and can’t wait for my next demo. Well done you for this 👍. They are truly the future and more money needs to be spent on what they are fed for sure.

Patti x

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Mallika Basu's avatar

That's such important work Patti and makes a huge difference to them (I can also confirm you're brilliant at it). Thanks for reading and sharing your insights.

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Sue Currie's avatar

I am a governor at the small primary school (around 100 pupils) in a rural location, that my children attended. The school does not have the facilities to provide school meals, so they have to be bought and brought in. The options for school meal provision are depressing to say the very least.

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Mallika Basu's avatar

It was very depressing to hear some of the stories Sue. I also heard that some dining rooms are so small there is nowhere for the children to sit! And that school meal funding isn't ringfenced so it gets allocated elsewhere. Something has to change, surely.

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Sue Currie's avatar

You would hope so, but it's hard to see at present

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Mallika Basu's avatar

I know what you mean

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