The Water Conservators have supported the Livery Food Initiative and City Harvest through donations and collections. It was very interesting to receive an update at the Drapers Hall attended by representatives of the Livery and the City. The Deputy Master Martin Bigg attended on behalf of the Company.
Their work covers much of London and nearby areas including Watford.
One of the most interesting speakers was Dr Dolly van Tulleken, policy consultant and Visiting Researcher at the University of Cambridge. Her recent report is available via the following link:
Nourishing Britain: a political manual for improving the nation’s health | Nesta
We also heard from
- Judith Batchelar Hon. President, British Nutrition Foundation – The British Food System: How we feed a nation
- Rusudan Gongladze, Cranfield University – Critical success factors for improving surplus food redistribution – Insights from the literature
- Marco Torquati, Head of Community Impact, City Harvest – The Rise in Need
- Rajesh Makwana, Trustee of City Harvest and CEO of Sufra NW London – The Reality of Food Aid for People and Communities
The food challenges locally and globally include:
- 40% of food produced globally is lost or wasted.
- 600 million people are expected to face hunger by 2030.
- 8-10% of global greenhouse emissions come from food that is not consumed.
- 10.7 million tonnes of food were wasted in the UK in 2021.
- £21.8 billion is the estimated value of wasted food post farm gate in the UK in 2021,
- 11% of the UK population lived in food insecurity in the financial year 2024.
There was a strong justification for the work of City Harvest, collecting and distributing waste food, and benefiting deserving groups and individuals across London.
City Harvest premiered a trailer for a three-part documentary, exploring the hidden networks of free food provision, the reality of food poverty, and the systemic changes required to build a healthier future for all.
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