Hunger, poverty and inequality are not only pervasive global development challenges but also urgent issues within the UK, where an estimated eight million struggle daily with economic hardship and food insecurity, and the richest 10 percent hold 43 percent of all wealth. Urgent action is needed, and at IDS we have been working with our Brazilian partners and UK think tanks to help find policies and actions to prioritise, as part of the G20 summit in Brazil in November.
Globally, the situation was already severe for many but the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated inequalities in the UK and worldwide even further, and the ensuing cost-of-living crisis deepened poverty and food insecurity to the point that food banks have become a regular lifeline for many.
Sharing experiences and solutions
To help address these challenges IDS, in partnership with the Brazil think tank IPEA and the Embassy of Brazil in London recently convened an event on fighting hunger and poverty in the UK and internationally in the context of Brazil’s G20 presidency. With attendees from UK-based think tanks, charities and academia, the event was held as part of the T20 – bringing together think tanks and research centres from G20 member countries – to discuss priority policies to address hunger and poverty, how to fund them, and the role of international cooperation in sharing experiences and solutions.
HE Antonio Patriota, the Brazilian Ambassador to the UK, kick started the dialogue by remembering the pioneering contributions by Josué de Casto on the Geopolitics of Hunger and noting the paradoxical global rise in military spending alongside unabated hunger prevalence of hunger, highlighting a stark misallocation of resources in the face of pressing humanitarian needs.
The discussion proceeded with a panel exploring hunger in the UK and global context hosted by the Food Equity Centre, followed by a panel on poverty and inequality hosted by the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network, focusing on drivers and solutions in relation to poverty in the UK and globally. Final remarks were provided by IDS Acting Director, Peter Taylor and IPEA International Research Director, Fabio Vera Soares, along with participants from the FCDO and Food Ethics Council.
The discussion identified five key areas for the new UK government for addressing hunger and poverty, as it catches up with the G20 process:
1. Combine universal and targeted interventions and use holistic approaches to address multidimensional challenges.
Poverty is multidimensional, meaning that people experience various forms of deprivation, with lack of income often driving these deprivations. Food insecurity is a symptom of this broader issue. Making food more affordable involves both universal and targeted approaches—programmes that help children access food are crucial, but universal strategies, including better wages, offer broader benefits. The T20 debate highlighted the importance of holistic policies that create synergies across different sectors and approaches. For instance, Brazil’s home-grown school meals programme procures produce from smallholder farmers, enhancing education and nutrition while supporting local production.
2. Shift the focus to systemic inequalities.
Hunger and poverty reflect systemic inequalities and the debate on how to address these challenges should move away from blaming individuals and focus on structural causes. This requires a paradigm shift. Dee Woods, from the Landworkers Alliance, called upon governments to be brave and bold, and society to demand change as it is unacceptable that millions across the world, including those employed, disabled, or food growers, face food insecurity. Interventions must be systemic and target the food environment, recognising that food insecurity is linked to poverty and systemic inequalities. As Dee Woods and Suneetha Kadiyala from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine both noted, countries across the G20 must take leadership in ensuring coherence across government departments and ensuring hunger and food insecurity are seen symptoms of a bigger socio-political crisis.
The right to food must also be expanded in line with a systemic view, and this right should be qualified to refer to food and nutrition security with dignity and agency and within planetary boundaries.
3. Support grassroots innovation while consolidating social protection.
Social protection is the gold standard for addressing poverty and food insecurity, with decent jobs and stable incomes ensuring food security. While governments are duty bearers and accountability is crucial, the voluntary sector also plays a vital role. Community-level food provision can be lifesaving but should not replace safety nets and welfare programmes, nor should voluntary food aid allow governments to neglect their responsibilities. Civil society and grassroots organisations, embedded in communities, also play a crucial role in giving voice to lived experiences of hunger, poverty, and discrimination and in piloting solutions from the bottom up. Many across the UK are experimenting with innovative ways to feed people with dignity and address systemic inequalities, racism, and discrimination. Governments can support these initiatives by sustaining and consolidating existing innovations and fostering conditions for new ones to emerge.
4. Harness international learning through equitable knowledge partnerships.
It remains uncertain whether governments, including the UK, participating in international initiatives like the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, are genuinely committed to reflexive learning and scrutinising their own food systems. However, mutual exchanges, such as those happening in the T20, can drive these conversations. All speakers recognised the need for collaborative learning between countries like Brazil and the UK in addressing these core issues. These exchanges should also work to rebalance international knowledge flows.
At the event, Fabio Vera Soares (IPEA) urged the G20 to open minds and hearts to the possibility of learning from the South, citing Brazil’s social protection, Latin America’s food regulation, and Kenya’s digital banking as examples. Successes from countries like India and South Africa were also explored, from agricultural innovations to targeted healthy diet interventions.
Jen Haugen (FCDO) emphasised the need for the UK to act as a “sharing and learning partner” to foster more equitable global partnerships and resource allocation. Civil society and academia, connected through international knowledge networks, have much to contribute by generating evidence on effective policies and inclusive governance processes and by building knowledge from lived experiences of hunger and poverty. Equity should be at the core of their partnership arrangements and ways of working.
5. Accountability for hunger and poverty reduction targets.
Many of the speakers highlighted that solutions to hunger and poverty rely heavily on political will, particularly within the UK context. As such there is an immediate need for international collaboration and conversations to keep governments, policy makers and civil stakeholders accountable to hunger and poverty reduction targets.
In conclusion, addressing multidimensional challenges such as poverty and food insecurity necessitates a multifaceted approach that combines universal and targeted strategies. It is crucial to shift the focus towards systemic inequalities, promoting holistic policies and interventions. Supporting grassroots innovation, consolidating social protection, and fostering equitable international knowledge partnerships can drive meaningful change. The new UK government is well placed to take on the challenge and be a global champion for fighting hunger and poverty within the G20 and beyond.