Campaigning

Throughout all of our work we campaign for a fairer food system which prioritises people and planet over profit. When Cracking Good Food was first established in 2010 the social and political climate was very different to that in which we now live and work. Over a decade of austerity policies, the decimation of public services, Brexit, a global pandemic, and a spiralling ‘cost of living crisis’ have left us in a completely landscape. Our services to support food security amongst some of Greater Manchester’s most side-lined communities are in greater demand than ever. The pressure on the often under-funded and under-resourced VCFSE sector to keep our communities fed, warm, clothed and otherwise supported is huge; conversely donations from the public are in decline as the cost of living crisis reduces disposable income.

At Cracking Good Food, we believe that everyone in this country, the 5 th richest in the world, should have the right to food security. When we talk about ‘food security’ we mean that everyone should have consistent access to nutritious food, which is dietarily and culturally appropriate, and sourced with minimal damaging environmental or social impact. The problem is not that there isn’t enough – in fact, the UK wastes 9.5 million tonnes of food each year, with the average household spending £470 per year on food which is then thrown away. There are plenty of amazing schemes which see surplus food repurposed and put to good use, including Fareshare and The Bread & Butter Thing. Whilst we are passionate about minimising food waste and making the most of every ingredient available to us, the redistribution of surplus created by a profit-driven and increasingly unstable food system does nothing to address the root causes of poverty and food insecurity.

It is clear that significant systemic change is needed at every point in our food system, but in the meantime we are dedicated to supporting people – especially those experiencing food insecurity as a result of poverty, homelessness or other complex disadvantages – to access, cook and enjoy good food.

Greater Manchester Food Security Action Network (GMFSAN)

GMFSAN aims to bring together everyone in Greater Manchester working to end the scandal of food security by supporting a cohesive, effective and joined-up approach to tackling the issue. Cracking Good Food Co-Director Gemma Foxcroft is Co-Chair of the ‘Doing More For Those Who Miss Out’ taskforce along with Lily Axworthy from Greater Together Manchester and Lesley Lancelot for Manchester City Council.

People with personal insights into food insecurity, people from the frontline organisations, public sector officers, and anyone working to find more effective solutions to the food poverty crisis are invited to join and support the network.

Visit their website here.

Child Hunger

We firmly believe that food, cooking and nutrition should be included on the school curriculum, as recommended in the National Food Strategy, to help support an informed, engaged and inclusive food culture amongst future generations.

– Hungry children find it harder to concentrate and reach their potential at school yet in Greater Manchester more than 1 in 10 households are struggling with food and fuel insecurity (this is very likely to rapidly rise as the cost of living crisis continues to escalate).

– If like us you believe that EVERY child in primary education should receive free nourishing school meals (as they already have in both Scotland and Wales), please sign and share the letter here

Further campaigns and resources:

• Greater Manchester Food Security Action Network
• A Lost Education: The Reality Of Hunger In The Classroom
• Ending Hunger In The Holidays
• Food Foundation’s #endchildfoodpovertycampaign
• Hidden Hunger – The State Of UK Breakfast Provision 2022

We have more content coming to our campaigning page soon!