Restaurants called to join fight against hunger

Action Against Hunger is urging restaurants to get behind this year’s Love Food Give Food campaign.

Love Food Give Food 2020 launches on 1 September and runs through to the end of October, encouraging consumers to spend money with partners, enjoy quality food and in turn support the most vulnerable communities facing life-threatening hunger around the world.

The campaign provides the opportunity for the food and hospitality industry to unite during the Covid-19 crisis, fight global hunger and make a positive impact on their businesses at the same time.

One hundred and thirty-five million people globally were already suffering from acute food insecurity, due to issues of access, poverty, climate change and conflict.

These figures are expected to double to 265m – heightened by Covid-19 – as many communities internationally are struggling to access the food they need to survive and thrive.

Despite the economic slump created by the virus, the UK still benefits from a relatively stable food chain and readily available food, putting the hospitality industry in a unique position to make an impact in the fight against global hunger.

The charity operates in almost 50 countries, directly responding to Covid-19 while continuing to operate life-saving programmes to treat malnutrition and ensure communities can access safe and nutritious food.

This includes working with community-based partners here in the UK due to unprecedented need.

Partners can get involved in a variety of different ways, including through cause related marketing – with a percentage donated across single or multiple products, customer donations at the point of sale and/or matching donations.

Over 2,000 of the UK’s restaurants have taken part in the campaign previously, including Hawksmoor, Hakkasan and Pho.

Hawksmoor is supporting Love Food Give Food for the ninth year.

“Part of the reason we’re in business is to be able to make a difference in ways like this, and I hope it’s also part of why staff and customers have grown to love Hawksmoor,” says Huw Gott, co-founder of Hawksmoor.

“Love Food Give Food is a time when the hospitality industry unites to support the world’s most vulnerable people – we’d encourage all restaurants who are able to join in!”

“Never has the work of charities seemed more relevant or important. This pandemic has sent shockwaves throughout the UK and across the globe,” adds Jean-Michel Grand, executive director at Action Against Hunger UK.

“We are hugely proud of our work with the food and hospitality sector, and together we can create a defining moment for UK consumers to take action against hunger by celebrating the UK’s incredible food and hospitality industry.

“We look forward to making Love Food Give Food 2020 a bigger campaign than ever before, to support our life-saving work at this critical time.”

Action Against Hunger has worked closely with UK restaurants for more than 20 years to turn people’s love for food into action and raise over £11m for vulnerable communities across the world.

With restaurants facing unprecedented challenges and the global food crisis growing, Action Against Hunger is now also calling on retailers and food and drinks brands to join a global mission to end life-threatening hunger and create a lasting impact by working together.

Action Against Hunger will also mark the United Nation’s World Food Day on 16 October – a day of collective action against hunger, with their food and hospitality partners.