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The foraging group helping combat food poverty

Words by Smiley Team

In the height of the cost of living crisis, one company is doing its best to make sure no one goes hungry.

The Family Foraging Kitchen is a social enterprise based in Cornwall dedicated to tackling local food poverty by helping people source free, sustainable, healthy foods. In April 2022, 13.8% of families in the UK experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. By teaching families how to provide for themselves by living off the land, the local kitchen helps households in their local Cornwall combat food poverty.

As a community interest company, a percentage of all profits made from their ticketed courses allows them to provide the same educational opportunities to those experiencing food poverty or social isolation for free. "We believe that all people should have access to wild food education, as well as the confidence to access nutritious, sustainable, local, fresh food," they say.

"For every walk or course you purchase from The Family Foraging Kitchen – you help to provide a local family the skills to find free food forever. 

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Free Food Forever

Their 'Free Food Forever' project takes this one step further, allowing families who can't afford to pay for their foraging courses to attend with total financial anonymity. Those who are part of a low or no income household are able to attend courses for free, and are also provided with a Wild Food box.

These Wild Food boxes include foraged food, with instructions on how to prepare and consume them, as well as directions on how to safely and sustainably forage them again in the future.

Family Foraging Kitchen also partners with artisans and teachers in their local community, such as beekeepers, who help to pass on valuable information that is rapidly being lost in time. While many of their courses are taught on their own land, others such as seaweed foraging are taught elsewhere in the community.

If you are interested in a foraging course you can apply for that on their website, including if you believe you qualify for financial assistance.

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Give to Food Cycle, whose community dining days help to combat food poverty, food waste and loneliness.

VOLUNTEER: Join Feeding Britain and other charities like it to help stop families going hungry.

SUPPORT: Campaign with charities like the Trussell Trust who are helping to combat food poverty with the rising cost of living.

GET INVOLVED: Combat food poverty and food waste by helping charities such as FareShare redistribute food.

Photo Credit: Dom Moore

 

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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