Fifteen chefs including Meera Sodha, Raymond Blanc OBE, Rick Stein CBE, Ken Hom CBE and Dame Prue Leith have signed a letter calling on the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to lead with ambition on addressing the global hunger and nutrition crises.
Action Against Hunger is calling for the UK to commit an extra £500m per year over the next five years to nutrition specific programmes at the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit, which will have a ‘transformative’ effect on young lives around the world.
According to research for over a third of the world’s population eating a healthy meal is an unattainable luxury. Severe malnutrition causes almost half of young child deaths globally.
The letter states: “As chefs, we know the power of food, to nourish, to connect and to transform lives. Yet today, children are dying, because they lack access to nutritious food at a fair price. This is a global crisis.
“The world is facing a malnutrition crisis, the likes of which have no place in the 21st century. Undernourished children face lifelong challenges, like poor physical and mental health, difficulties at school, and limited future opportunities.
“Malnutrition doesn’t just stunt an individual’s growth; it slows down economies. Climate change, conflict and cost of living pressures are making the situation worse across the world. Over six million children are at risk of dying from malnutrition in the next decade. By working with partner countries in Africa and Asia, we can help take action to avert this crisis.”