Fixing food insecurity is a matter of political will

Do you skip meals because you cannot afford or get access to food? Have you been hungry but chosen not to eat in order that your children have enough food? Living in food insecurity is not something many of us can imagine, but for a significant number in our society–especially those with children–it is a terrifying consequence of living in poverty.

Latest data from the Food Foundation's Food Security Tracker tells us that in June 2024, 13.6% of households experienced food insecurity, while official figures (DEFRA, 2024) show that 7% of households were defined as ‘food insecure’ in 2022. We know that households with children are more likely to be food insecure than those without and the Food Foundation has previously estimated that as many as 1 in 4 could be affected.

The Trussell Trust (2024) reports that more than 3.1 million food parcels were distributed by its food banks in the last year, double the number compared to 5 years ago and including 655 000 people who used a food bank for the first time. And 1 in 5 schools now have some form of food bank for families (Baker et al, 2024).