Grocers and suppliers sign up to Rashford’s food poverty taskforce

Manchester United star Rashford made headlines in June when his campaign to extend free school meals over the summer forced the government into a U-turn on the issue. 

His new food poverty taskforce will see grocers and suppliers lobby the government for spending in the autumn statement to support vulnerable children whose lives have been made harder by the ongoing pandemic. 

A list of businesses including Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Deliveroo, Iceland, Kellogg’s, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose have all joined the taskforce and pledged to hand over their social media channels to share stories of children affected by food insecurity over the next six weeks. 

The retailers and suppliers, alongside charities FareShare and The Food Foundation, have also written to MPs calling on them to implement proposals from the National Food Strategy, authored by Leon founder Henry Dimbleby.

Tesco UK and Republic of Ireland chief executive Jason Tarry said: “No child should ever go hungry. Many families across the country are going through a very challenging time and are struggling to get the food they need, which is why Tesco stands with Marcus Rashford and this taskforce and supports its objectives to ensure that every child is fed all year round.”

Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield said: “It’s heart-breaking to think of children in the UK going hungry and we are determined to do everything we can to support those who are most vulnerable in the communities we serve.

“We’ve worked with Marcus before and seen the amazing dedication he gives to the serious issue of food insecurity, which, as a local community retailer, Co-op also has an important role in supporting.”