Which?/Food Foundation Declaration on Affordable Food
Which? and the Food Foundation have brought together a coalition of cross-party MPs and Peers, NGOs and academics, calling on supermarkets to take urgent action to help consumers in the cost of living crisis. It is critical that supermarkets now step up and make the critical changes needed to ensure that everyone has access to affordable food.
Declaration:
The UK is suffering its worst food affordability crisis in modern times. Across the country, people are struggling to put food on the table amid a cost of living crisis which has sent food inflation skyrocketing. With millions now skipping meals just to get by, UK households urgently need more support with affordable food.
A crisis of this magnitude requires all of us to do more - Government, civil society and businesses. The pandemic showed us the important role that supermarkets can play in a crisis. Now we need them to step up again and increase support for struggling households.
Supermarkets have already taken some welcome steps, but there needs to be a much more ambitious approach and a particular focus on supporting the households that are struggling the most.
We are calling on supermarkets to:
• Commit to making affordable and healthy basic food ranges available across their stores, from major branches to convenience stores, especially in the areas of the country where people are struggling the most.
• Ensure their offers and promotions are used to support those who need help the most and are targeted at healthy and affordable basics rather than foods high in salt, sugar and fat.
• Ensure that their pricing is clear and transparent so people can easily work out what is the best value.
Price freezes and price matches are welcome, but supermarkets can go much further in offering targeted support. Too often, the customers who most need cheaper value and own brand items are greeted by shelves of expensive brands in local branches.
Supermarkets could achieve significant impact, particularly for the hardest hit, by committing to making affordable and healthy basic food ranges reliably available in all their stores, from major branches to convenience stores. 50% of shoppers surveyed recently reported they were trading down to cheaper products.
Supermarkets could also be working harder to promote and communicate schemes aimed at the hardest hit, for example, vulnerable young families using Healthy Start.
Generally, supermarkets could be committing to do more to target in-store support with affordable food to those in the most affected areas of the country. Which? and the University of Leeds have developed a groundbreaking ‘Priority Places for Food’ index, which gives supermarkets a unique opportunity to target support to consumers who struggle to access affordable food.
With their reach to so many consumers and communities, supermarkets have the power to do great good in these difficult times. The scale of this crisis demands they use this power now. We, the undersigned, call on supermarkets to go further and make specific public commitments to support people in accessing affordable, healthy food.
Signatories:
Parliamentarians:
Organisations and charities:
Access to Nutrition Initiative
Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
Refettorio Felix at St Cuthbert's Centre
Experts:
Prof Tim Lang (City University)
Prof Michael Cardwell (University of Leeds)
Prof Michael Winter (University of Exeter)
Do you want to see your supermarket take action to support you through the cost of living crisis? - Sign our Affordable Food For All petition
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