How do we reduce hunger and move towards fulfilling the Right to Food for all in the UK?

The need for nutritious food is something we all share. Yet, all too often there is a gap between what is needed and what is available and accessible. In the UK in 2025 14 million people are going to bed hungry and over 60% of what we eat is food that is highly processed with lots of extra fat, sugar and salt. This is affecting our health and well being as a nation.

The Right to Food UK Commission is collecting evidence and lived experiences regarding feeding families and communities in the UK. What is working to improve access to food and what is not?

This is an opportunity to contribute your experiences and ideas, to help reduce the numbers of people who go to bed hungry in the UK.

We want to hear from as many Individuals, community leaders, community groups, non-government organisations, academics and food service providers, health and social workers and activists for the right to food. All are welcome to raise their voices and share your experiences.

Your inputs will contribute to the Commission Report and Right to Food Legislation Roadmap which will use evidence submitted to develop an Action Plan for the UK to make the right to food a reality by 2030.

There will be 6 Commission Evidence Sessions held around the UK between January and May 2026, supported by Citizens’ Assemblies.

We invite:

A. Written evidence on:

1. Food insecurity in the UK, challenges and solutions that are having a positive impact

2. Experiences of seeking support for food in the UK (food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens)

3. Experiences of the impact of free school meals

4. Experiences of the impact of community kitchens

5. Experiences of the impact of social protection safety nets such as income support

6. Evidence on the importance of a living wage for all on the ability to feed individuals and families

7. The impact of policies that affect families’ abilities to feed themselves and their communities (both positive and negative)

8. Evidence on solutions that reach those most marginalised including homeless, unemployed and those living with ill health or disability

9. How a right to food law could work in the UK, including evidence from right to food cities on lessons learned

10. What should the right to food law include regarding government duties?

11. How could we monitor the impact and progress of a right to food law?

12. What type of accountability mechanism would ensure the voices of those most impacted are collected and acted upon?

B. Community Voices

1. Your experiences of feeding yourselves, your family, and your community in the last few years. Have you experienced any positive changes or challenges?

2. · How are you coping with any challenges?

3. · Have you had any support? If so, from whom?

4. · What one thing would make a difference for you, your family and/or your community?

Ethics and consent guidance

If you are an academic organisation and/or an organisation working with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults, you will need to ensure your submission complies with the Commission’s consent guidelines. Please contact the Right To Food Commissioner responsible for ethics and consent, Regina Murphy Keith, on: R.keith@westminster.ac.uk.