99. Livery Food Initiative and City Harvest, 11 January 2024

I attended a meeting to hear about City Harvest and the Livery Food Initiative launched just over a year ago by the Livery Charity Chairs Group.  I heard that the first Livery Food Initiative van is now up and running, and fully funded for three years.  It is collecting and delivering surplus food for thousands of much-needed meals across London.  The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators contributed our collection following the Installation Court Lunch last July.

I was very surprised to hear that London has the highest poverty rate in the UK. In inner London 30% of households are in distress and for some groups the rate is even higher, reaching 53% for single parents. Between 2008 and 2021 food prices went up 28%. Between 2021 and 2023 they again went up 28%.

The Livery Initiative works with City Harvest which takes high quality food that is about to go to waste from farms, manufacturers and retailers, and redistributes it to 375 charities across London according to need.

We heard that City Harvest is facing a rapid decline in the food available and is constantly needing to adapt. Food suppliers are becoming more efficient and reducing food surpluses so a wider collection network and bigger vehicles are required.

Please look at the details of their work below.

Round up video

https://youtu.be/XTe2o1N9H1I

Impact report

https://liverycommittee.org/lfi-request-2024/#support

More information

https://cityharvest.org.uk/livery-food-initiative/

https://cityharvest.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CityHarvest-FoodReport2023-V7-DIGITAL-PAGES.pdf

European initiative

https://www.guiafc.es/en/fondo-de-ayuda-europea-para-las-personas-mas-desfavorecidas/

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