Jamie Oliver announces his ‘plan B’ to fight obesity

JAMIE Oliver is to turn his business empire into an ethical “B corporation” as the chef embarks on an anti-obesity project which he says will be his “legacy”.

The Jamie Oliver Group released a social impact report yesterday, which it said was an “important step in its plans to become a leading social impact business”.

The report lays out how the group’s activities from 2019 onwards will all centre on a goal to halve childhood obesity by 2030.

The group plans to reach the target, known as the “2030 Project”, through mix of campaigning, Mr Oliver’s TV shows and books, products and partnerships with other companies.

“I believe the 2030 Project will be my legacy – and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next,” Mr Oliver said.

As part of its commitment to becoming a social impact business, the group is looking into becoming certified as a “B corp”, a status given to for-profit companies which meet certain standards of sustainability, accountability and transparency.

The process could take several years to complete.

The move comes a few months after all but three of Mr Oliver’s UK restaurants were closed down when the business went into administration.

In the social impact report, the chef said it had been a “difficult” year but the failure had motivated his team.

Paul Hunt, chief executive of the Jamie Oliver Group, said the obesity targets will be considered before signing any new deals.