The False Economy of Big Food—2026 Update

Tim Jackson
September 2026 | Food, Farming & Countryside Commission

Summary

This report by CUSP co-director Prof Tim Jackson updates the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission’s 2024 report The False Economy of Big Food, asking two questions: what does diet-related ill health cost the UK, and what would it cost to ensure everyone can afford a healthy diet?

The updated analysis finds that the annual health-related costs of unhealthy diets have risen from £268 to £298 billion, while the additional household spending needed for an Eatwell-compliant diet has fallen from £57 billion to £51 billion. The hidden costs of unhealthy diets are therefore almost six times the household food budget gap.

The findings reinforce the report’s central argument: the UK spends vast sums managing diet-related ill health while maintaining a food system that makes healthy eating difficult and, for many households, unaffordable.

The report calls for five key policy shifts:

1. Treat food and health policy as economic policy
2. Establish affordable healthy food as a practical right
3. Reshape the food environment with enforceable standards and product transparency
4. Redirect financial flows to align commercial returns with public value
5. Build a cross-government food and health mission

The updated analysis confirms that ensuring access to nutritious food is not only an ethical and public-health imperative, but also an economic necessity.