MFL hero Digital Digest 1500x400

Digital Digest

COVID-19 HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN LONDON AT RISK OF ‘FOOD INSECURITY’ – THIS MEANS THAT THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE SUFFICIENT QUALITY OR QUANTITY OF FOOD. IN 2019, THE GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY ESTIMATED THAT 400,000 CHILDREN AGED 16 OR UNDER WERE IN FOOD INSECURITY.

OF THESE, ONLY 196,000 WILL QUALIFY FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT FOOD VOUCHER SCHEME DURING THE PANDEMIC, MEANING AT LEAST 200,000 MAY GO HUNGRY.  THIS FIGURE IS LIKELY TO BE HIGHER DUE TO RISING UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOSS OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME.

In partnership with Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, we’ve brought together leaders from across the industry to discuss ways in which we can tackle food insecurity and champion children’s right to food.

Over the next few weeks, our Digital Digest series will bring you thoughts and opinions from experts in their fields and webinars discussing some of the key food issues we’re facing right now.

Read More

Digital Digest 6

THE RIGHT TO FOOD IN BRAZIL, AND WHY POLITICS MATTER

By Jennifer Constantine, PhD Candidate, Department of International Development, King’s College London

“Legislating for the right to food showed Brazilians that , food and nutritional security public policies were not about social assistance or benefits, but about citizens’ fundamental, human right to adequate, healthy, nutritionally complete and culturally suitable food.”

Read More

Digital Digest 5

EVERY HUNGRY CHILD SHAMES US

By: Emma Lewell-Buck, MP, South Shields

“There should not be a need for charities to fill hungry mouths in our country. Every meal delivered is a disgraceful stain on this government’s record.”

Read More

Digital Digest 4

FOOD ACCESS: A NEW KIND OF POSTCODE LOTTERY

By: Dianna Smith, Lecturer in Geographical Information Systems, University of Southampton

“The issue of household food security has become a reality for more households, not only due to financial constraints but due to necessary self-isolation and lack of food deliveries.”

Read More

Digital Digest 3

HOW THE FREE SCHOOL MEALS SYSTEM DISCRIMINATES BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS

By: Nadia Chalabi – Hackney Migrant Centre’s School Meals Advocate and author of ‘Children with No Recourse to Public Funds: The need for free school meals’

“Universal free school meals are the safest way to ensure that undocumented children can eat at school. They would also benefit every other child from low income families failed by the free school meals system.”

Read More

Digital Digest 2

HOW CAN THE RIGHT TO FOOD ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF MARGINALISED AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS?

By: Dr Jasber Singh – Associate Professor at Coventry’s Centre for Agroecology, Water & Resilience and Eve Dickson – Policy Officer, Project 17

“The universal right to food applies to everyone, regardless of their or their parents’ immigration status. And perhaps this universal principle is what Britain needs to heal from the divisive politics of recent times.”

Read More

Digital Digest 1

HOW THE RIGHT TO FOOD FOR CHILDREN SHOULD BE ONE PIECE OF A WIDER CAMPAIGN ON A RIGHT TO A MINIMUM STANDARD OF LIVING FOR CHILDREN.

By: Alison Garnham – Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group

“Whenever we speak of the harm of hunger or food bank use, we must make loud and clear its cause – child poverty – and promote the right to a decent and adequate income above all else.”