Co-operation Live: the need to address food poverty now

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals) are well-known and form part of our obligations to support developing countries. Less well-known is that they apply domestically. The second SDG is ‘zero hunger by 2030’.  Despite this obligation, food poverty appears to be increasing not decreasing. The impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis means that over 8 million people in the UK have trouble putting food on their tables. Over 500,000 people used food banks last year, with over 1 million people living in food deserts. Plus the added long-term impact on health with 10% of the NHS budget treating diabetes.

This week’s start of the school year sees primary schools across London now providing free schools meals to all pupils but many are still missing out. Current data shows that one in three schoolchildren living in poverty in England does not qualify for free school meals.

Join us on Zoom as we hear from food justice campaigners committed to addressing and tackling these issues today. With:

• Alice McDonald -Campaign Director for Hungry for Action and PPC Norwich North
• Stephanie Slater – CEO, School Food Matters, who teach children about food and improve their access to healthy, sustainable food.
• Tanya Noon – director of Kandoroo, a CIC that provides a digital solution to food poverty
• Chaired by Cllr Abigail Marshall-Katung, Co-operative Party NEC Member (North) and Chair of Scrutiny Board (Infrastructure, Investment and Inclusive Growth), Leeds City Council