Professor Greta Defeyter OBE, from Northumbria University, originally focused on researching children's cognitive development. One day, she watched as a young boy methodically filled his backpack and pockets with breakfast club leftovers. When asked why, his answer would reshape her entire research career: "I'm taking it home because my mam's at work and there's nothing for tea for me and my baby sister."
This moment in 2003 - a child ensuring his and his sister’s next meal in a country that prides itself on social welfare - exposed the early indications of a brewing crisis that has only deepened in the decades since. Today, in the North East of England alone, one in five children live in household food insecurity, a conservative estimate that probably masks an even grimmer reality.
The journey to understanding Britain's food crisis is deeply personal for Greta. In the mid-1980s, she arrived back in the UK as a single mother with a mixed-race son with special needs, carrying just 16 pence and a pair of hiking boots to her name. Her salvation came through her mother - a "four-foot-two pocket rocket" who had worked in ammunition factories during World War II and possessed an unshakeable belief in education as the path forward.
This background gives Greta a unique perspective on today's crisis. "When you're hungry - not just a little peckish, but truly hungry - it's impossible to concentrate on anything," she explains. "Add to that the constant fear of not knowing where your next meal will come from, and you begin to understand the devastating impact that food insecurity has on a child's physical, educational and emotional development."
What's perhaps most alarming isn't just the scale of food insecurity in the UK but how it has become normalised. When Greta first encountered the wee boy with toast in his pockets, such stories shocked people. Today, teachers matter-of-factly report children making "soup" from stolen ketchup packets when there's nothing to eat at home.
"We've accepted schools as the third state," Greta observes, "expecting them to feed children, provide benefits advice, help with laundry, and supply uniforms. We need to ask ourselves: Are we truly addressing the fundamental root causes of poverty and associated food insecurity?"
Consider these startling figures:
The current system's inefficiencies extend beyond numbers.
These aren't just administrative oversights - they're symptoms of a system that often compounds the very problems it aims to solve.
The path forward requires both immediate interventions and systemic change, and several promising initiatives are already showing results. Take Feeding Britain's network of affordable food hubs - a pioneering alternative to traditional food banks. These social supermarkets and pantries operate on a cooperative model where members pay a nominal fee and receive significantly more value in nutritious food. With over 300 such clubs nationwide, they're demonstrating how dignified food access can work in practice. I am not suggesting that these clubs are the whole answer to poverty and food insecurity but they are, under the current circumstances, a step in the right direction.
"The money from membership allows these hubs to purchase healthier, more nutrient-dense food than traditional food banks can typically provide," Greta explains. "We're seeing improved dietary intake and better outcomes for families."
In schools, innovative approaches are emerging too. Some schools have implemented universal breakfast clubs that avoid stigma by operating in high-need areas but remaining open to all students. Others have adopted biometric payment systems that make free school meal recipients indistinguishable from other students. Although, care must be taken that pupils can’t be identified through other means or programmes.
Building on these successes, Greta advocates for broader systemic changes:
"You shouldn't have to apply for rights," Greta argues. "Rights are given."
The implications of food insecurity extend far beyond immediate hunger. Research shows that food insecurity is associated with :
As we witness the normalisation of food banks - now as numerous as McDonald's restaurants across the UK - we must ask ourselves hard questions about the society we're creating. The solutions exist. Auto-enrollment systems could streamline money to schools and families. Universal free school meals could ensure no child or young person goes hungry. Affordable food hubs could provide more dignified solutions, alongside services to maximise household income, thus improving overall dietary intake and health. The real question isn't whether we can afford these solutions - it's whether we can afford not to implement them.
This exploration of food insecurity in Britain emerged from a wider conversation on the This is The North podcast, where Professor Defeyter delves deeper into these interconnected challenges. Her insights reveal how seemingly separate issues—from school food standards to government department data sharing—weave together to create and perpetuate cycles of food insecurity. What becomes clear, both in our discussion and through her decades of research, is that these aren't isolated problems requiring isolated solutions. They demand a comprehensive rethinking of how we approach food security, poverty, and social rights.
For Policymakers:
For Educators and School Leaders:
For Community Leaders:
For Concerned Citizens:
You can hear Professor Defeyter's full interview and explore more systemic challenges facing Northern England on the This is The North podcast here.
Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe [Spotify | Apple or wherever you get your podcasts].
This article was originally published in February 2025.