Food insecurity is increasing in the UK. According to the Food Foundation, during 2023, nine million adults (17% of households) reported reducing or skipping meals because they could not afford or access enough food; three million adults reported not eating for an entire day; and more than 20 per cent of households with children reported that their children had experienced food insecurity.
While food insecurity is not a new challenge in the UK, it has received increased media attention in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the ensuing cost of living crisis. Weekly food shopping has become unaffordable for many. The Food Foundation's Basic Basket tracker indicated that the average cost of food baskets increased by 25% between May 2022 and April 2023.