More Plates, More Produce: Free School Meals a £600m Opportunity for British Agriculture

Expanding free school meals in England could deliver a £600 million annual boost to British farming as well as transform children’s health, according to new research.

The Follow the Carrot report, published on 9 September by Sustain, Bremner & Co and the Ampney Brook Foundation with support from Impact on Urban Health, argues that the planned extension of eligibility to all children in households receiving Universal Credit offers a “golden opportunity” to align public health and farming interests.

From September 2026, an estimated 620,000 more children will become eligible for free school meals in England. The research suggests that this could increase the number of meals served each year from one billion to 1.54 billion, creating significant new demand for fresh produce grown in the UK.

The report estimates that sourcing more ingredients such as carrots, broccoli and potatoes from British growers could inject an additional £600 million into UK agriculture. This uplift includes potential increases in annual sales of carrots from £11 million to £18 million, potatoes from £155 million to £250 million, and broccoli from £42 million to £68 million.

Barbara Crowther, children’s food campaign manager at Sustain, said: “We’re on the brink of the most important expansion of school meals in a generation. Our report shows we have a really exciting opportunity to use this to deliver a triple whammy of delicious, nutritious meals for children, investment in sustainable British farming and benefits to our wider economy. The government simply cannot afford to miss it.”

The report sets out five recommendations for government, including ensuring continued expansion towards universal school meals, funding meals properly to reflect true costs, investing in supply chains and catering infrastructure, raising and enforcing standards, and joining up strategies across health, farming and the economy.

Myles Bremner, co-author of the report and former director of the School Food Plan, said: “The government has set a great ambition of getting more British veg in our schools – a real win-win-win for our farmers and growers, for our kids’ health, and for sustainability. But we need to make sure the school food system is resilient and able to cope with more fresh produce in our kitchens. That means proper kitchens, well-trained staff, and appropriate funding.”

Henry Dimbleby, author of the School Food Plan and the National Food Strategy, added: “If we are to shift the national diet to include more veg and beans, school kitchens are the place to begin. Expand free school meals and buy well; we’ll nourish children, normalise better diets and support British producers.”

British chef, food writer and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall also welcomed the findings: “This is a golden opportunity to nourish our children with good, wholesome British food while giving our farmers the boost they desperately need. Expanding free school meals isn’t just about filling plates, it’s about filling them with fresh, sustainable, home-grown produce that supports children’s health and strengthens our farming economy. With the right investment and leadership, we can turn 540mn extra school meals into a win-win for kids, farmers and the planet.”

The authors caution, however, that these benefits will not be realised without decisive action from government. They warn that proper funding, robust procurement systems and investment in local supply chains will be essential to ensure schools can deliver healthier, sustainable meals at scale.

Read the full report.