Our thinking

Vouchers for veg

21 March, 2025

Healthier eating just got a major boost. The UK government announced that as part of its recently announced £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods, a fund aimed at tackling deprivation across the country, it will support schemes that offer financial incentives to improve diets.

Vouchers for fruit and veg have been available through NGOs such as Alexandra Rose Charity for some years, with robust evidence that they reduce poverty and provide economic support to local markets which form an essential part of the food ecosystem. Schemes like this improve diets, in turn improving both physical and mental health in deprived communities. But beyond government incentivisation, there is a role for progressive businesses to amplify the impact of this kind of initiative. 

By supporting these schemes, consumer goods businesses can capitalise on the benefits, particularly in the wake of concerns around lost junk-food profits due to the rise of appetite-supressing drugs like Ozempic. For insurers, there is an opportunity to creatively cut liabilities by incentivising healthier eating through innovative mechanisms. For pharmaceutical companies looking to boost their reputation by focusing on preventative healthcare, supporting healthy eating schemes is a tried and tested strategy to tackle certain chronic diseases, like diabetes. 

This is ‘smart capitalism in action’: government establishes the need, some funding and policy framework, businesses amplify the impact, and healthier communities result. So who will step up? 

By Lucy Bell