Thread by @TRobinsonMiles

Important @BBCPanorama episode this evening ⬇️ #CostOfLiving #FoodSecurity

The average annual household grocery bill is forecast to rise by 682 pounds (Source:Kantar)

Why have prices gone through the roof? E.g. a potato 🥔
-rising cost of fertiliser (gone ⬆️ by 30%)
-rising labour costs (still a shortage since brexit)
-rising fuel costs
-environmental impact (drought)

Last year the UK's 3 largest supermarkets (Asda, Tesco & Sainsbury's) made profits totalling 3 Billion pounds! "Supermarket power has grown they are the baronial class of the modern food system" @ProfTimLang

"the sale of supermarket own brands is a third higher than they were a year ago" earlier this year Aldi overtook Morrisons as Britain's 4th largest supermarket

"About 60% of people that come here [a food pantry] are in work poverty, the wages aren't enough to keep them warm at home & feed them as-well" "we've had postman in, fireman, nurses, pensioners" Robbie- Co-Founder @SFoodbanks spotlighted on Panorama @IanByrneMP

"It is catastrophic" - Robbie @SFoodbanks

Blethwyn "if this big tesco closes [it will affect me] enormously I cannot walk as far as the big supermarket" "we also rely on it for our social life" #foodaccess #socialfood

"I don't buy anything I consider extravagant but that takes away the emotional pleasure of life"

Collectively Russia & Ukraine produce 30% of global wheat export. Investors 'betting' on predicted price changes in wheat prices has affected food costs according to UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty - hedge-funders, banks have benefitted from this war, others are starving

"I worked for 30 years as a carer then I got Arthritis...I'm reliant on Universal Credit" "it doesn't matter what you do you haven't got the money there to pay it all"

@DeborahAlsina

Dr Megan Blake @GeoFoodieOrg "we see a-lot more diet related ill health in households that are struggling financially because they've had to trade away from that food that will be more healthy for them"

"as people's diets narrow we go to things that will fit in the freezer that are going to be safe, that are cheaper" @GeoFoodieOrg

Nearly 7 million adults are eating smaller meals or skipping them completely @Food_Foundation

GP- East London "Malnutrition is a huge concern right now, I'm really concerned about some of my elderly patients, I'm concerned about them not having enough food let alone nutritious food"

"It's become the norm that people that aren't eating, that's shocking to be saying that sitting in London in 2022"

"The price of vegetables has increased by nearly 12% & fruit nearly 8% since last April" "Britain doesn't eat enough fruit & veg & that's terrible for public health, what we're going to see if health inequalities growing" @ProfTimLang

"I wouldn't be surpised if we were 60,000 pounds at the end of this financial year in March" Headteacher discussing rising school meal costs & the associated deficit "we can't keep pace with the changes"

"The total cost of feeding pupils far exceeds the total cost in gets from parents and government funding" "the canteen is running at a loss of 70p for every meal served"

"I know some schools will make that hard decision of having to ask parents to increase prices...but I'm concerned that pushes the problem into the family home"

Food inflation in the UK now stands at 14.7%

"I think this is a test of us if we're a good society not just a good food culture but a decent society- whether we feed everyone a sustainable, wholesome, healthy, affordable diet and we're not doing that at the moment" @ProfTimLang