Food Policy on Trial: UBI – Jury verdict

Our third Food Policy on Trial event (and first online trial) put Universal Basic Income and food systems ‘in the dock’.

We heard from expert witnesses:

  • Anthony Painter, Chief Research & Impact Officer, the RSA
  • Anna Coote, Principal Fellow, New Economics Foundation
  • Niall Cooper, Director, Church Action on Poverty
  • Professor Valerie (Val) Tarasuk, University of Toronto

Our jury panel consisted of five members of the Food Ethics Council:

  • Dr Julian Baggini, freelance writer, author and philosopher (chaired the discussion)
  • Dr Nigel Dower, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Aberdeen – interest in global ethics
  • Professor Liz Dowler, Emeritus Professor of Food and Social Policy, University of Warwick
  • Ruth Layton, founder, sankalpa
  • Albert Tucker, independent consultant, advisor and social entrepreneur

Below you can read selected extracts from the evidence presented, get a sense of the wider discussion and read the jury’s verdict on this policy idea. We encourage you to also listen to the audio recording of the ‘trial’ here and come to your own judgement!