That's a question I was asked a couple of weeks ago, and I've been reflecting on my long list of possible answers, with my top three improvements changing almost every day.
What this tells me is that there's a lot that could be done to improve our food system, and for me the answer changes depending on which outcome I'm looking to influence.
The question would be easier to answer if we were looking at individual parts of the food system, but that defeats the challenge and simplicity of the question somewhat.
It's probably also a simplistic representation of the challenges that the UK Government's Food Strategy Advisory Board have been grappling with. And, as we know, they have a good few more priority actions than just three!
It takes us back to the argument that many see public food as being a panacea, and a way of eliminating a wide-range of societal issues.
We know that this is overambitious when our services remain under-funded, under-valued and under-resourced, yet we continue to show up every day, to chip away at making those improvements we are working to achieve.
We have an army of caterers who perhaps aren't thinking about the strategic questions each day, but instead are focused on providing the best quality meals that they can manage within the cost restraints imposed on their operations – and I don't think we can ask for much more than that.
I think my current reflection on this question is that we need to define the outcomes we are looking to achieve before we can say which three changes we'd make.
And for today at least, I think I'd be focusing on:
Wish 1 – Ensure that public food receives the right investment to deliver meals that make a difference to health outcomes, and is seen as part of a suite of preventative measures that can reduce the burden on acute healthcare problems.
Wish 2 – Ensure that public food supports climate change action and enables agro-ecological change to happen in partnership.
Wish 3 – Recognise that public food should be celebrated and enjoyed - a positive experience for those who benefit from public meals provision and a source of pride for caterers who work hard to provide those meals.
So, now it's over to you: if you were given those three wishes, what would yours be? I’d love to hear them.
