He brings a wealth of food activism, policy and campaigning experience to this role and will guide this alliance to champion and shape the future of food education in England. The Food Education Network is an alliance of organisations and individuals committed to championing food education in England.
The alliance believes the current food education provided in England is 'fragmented and inconsistent', often woven across different subjects without dedicated focus. The Food Education Network aims to:
- Develop strong evidence supporting the importance of food education and promote its comprehensive benefits.
- Advocate for policy improvements and effective implementation, curriculum inclusion and Government funding for food education from early years through to and including secondary education.
- Promote food education in the media, all types of schools including academies and special schools, early years settings and to stakeholders in food, nutrition, education, public health, sustainability and the wider public.
Dev’s food campaigning experience began in his teens when he co-founded with Jamie Oliver the youth movement Bite Back 2030 which fights for a food system that puts children's health first.
Commenting on his appointment, Dev said: “Food education is a justice issue. It should be as fundamental to growing up in England as learning to read or write. No child's life chances should depend on their postcode or their parents' income.
“I've spent years listening to young people talk about rising prices, confusing labels and a food system that feels rigged against them. What changes everything is the moment they understand how food actually works in their lives. How it connects to their health, their money, their culture and the planet. That's not a nice to have. That's a life skill.
“The Food Education Network (FEN) is a powerful alliance building a serious lobby for children in a food system that was not designed with them in mind. We bring together organisations with real track records of winning change, and we're asking them to act as one. Together we will build the evidence base, shift the policy landscape and get food education embedded across the whole school experience from early years to secondary.”
Dev was also instrumental in the free school meals campaign alongside Marcus Rashford and The Food Foundation which helped change Government policy during the pandemic.
Jamie Oliver added: “Big congratulations to Dev Sharma, an inspirational food educational campaigner, on his new role at The Food Education Network (FEN).
“Food Education is a life skill that needs to be baked into our curriculum from early years to secondary education. Learning to cook is as important as learning to read, write and add up. I'm looking forward to seeing Dev shape and lead our shared mission to make sure all kids get this chance.”