Donate surplus food to families to ease cost of living crisis, charities tell PM

Fareshare wrote a letter, signed by 1,020 organisations, to Rishi Sunak telling the Conservative leader: "The UK has a hunger crisis and your government is absent"< /p> Families are facing a cost of living crisis (
Image: Getty Images)

A thousand charities are today asking Rishi Sunak to pay for excess food for struggling families battling the cost of living crisis.

The amount of food wasted by the UK food industry each year is enough to feed every person in the UK three meals a day, plus a snack, for a month, according to research.

Over three million tonnes of edible food is wasted on UK farms every year, the equivalent of 6.9 billion meals.

Meanwhile, up to 14 million people, including four million children, are "food insecure".

Injecting £25m a year could put 100m meals on the tables of the poorest households, according to Fareshare.

Backed by 1,020 charities, the organization said: "FareShare has calculated that by committing £25 million a year the government could provide 42,500 tonnes of surplus food, equivalent to 100 million meals, to food insecure people.

"Most of this funding would allow farmers and food businesses to redistribute their surplus food at no additional cost by paying for labor, packaging and transportation."

Charities help feed those in need (
Picture:
Getty Images)
General Manager Lindsay Boswell added: "Every day more people struggle to feed themselves and their families.

“Charities providing food and services to communities affected by the cost of living crisis are struggling to keep up with soaring demand.

“Meanwhile, a staggering amount of good-to-eat food is going to be wasted on farms and factories.”

A recent poll found that 88% of voters believe surplus food should be donated to individuals and charities, and 78% believe the government should do more to help charities access unwanted food.

Some 1,020 organizations have signed an open letter to Mr. Sunak calling on the government to take action.

“The UK is in a hunger crisis and your government is out,” they tell the Prime Minister.

"Cha...

Politics Mar 2, 2023 0 38 Add to Reading List

Donate surplus food to families to ease cost of living crisis, charities tell PM

Fareshare wrote a letter, signed by 1,020 organisations, to Rishi Sunak telling the Conservative leader: "The UK has a hunger crisis and your government is absent"< /p> Families are facing a crisis in the cost of life Families are facing a cost of living crisis (

Image: Getty Images)

A thousand charities are today asking Rishi Sunak to pay for excess food for struggling families battling the cost of living crisis.

The amount of food wasted by the UK food industry each year is enough to feed every person in the UK three meals a day, plus a snack, for a month, according to research.

Over three million tonnes of edible food is wasted on UK farms every year, the equivalent of 6.9 billion meals.

Meanwhile, up to 14 million people, including four million children, are "food insecure".

Injecting £25m a year could put 100m meals on the tables of the poorest households, according to Fareshare.

Backed by 1,020 charities, the organization said: "FareShare has calculated that by committing £25 million a year the government could provide 42,500 tonnes of surplus food, equivalent to 100 million meals, to food insecure people.

"Most of this funding would allow farmers and food businesses to redistribute their surplus food at no additional cost by paying for labor, packaging and transportation."

Charities help feed those in need (

Picture:

Getty Images)

General Manager Lindsay Boswell added: "Every day more people struggle to feed themselves and their families.

“Charities providing food and services to communities affected by the cost of living crisis are struggling to keep up with soaring demand.

“Meanwhile, a staggering amount of good-to-eat food is going to be wasted on farms and factories.”

A recent poll found that 88% of voters believe surplus food should be donated to individuals and charities, and 78% believe the government should do more to help charities access unwanted food.

Some 1,020 organizations have signed an open letter to Mr. Sunak calling on the government to take action.

“The UK is in a hunger crisis and your government is out,” they tell the Prime Minister.

"Cha...