This is the second in a series of quarterly blogs from Farm Africa, a charity with important links to the hospitality industry trying to end hunger in eastern Africa. UK restaurants put the boot into hunger in Africa
The figures are shocking. Hunger kills more people each year than AIDS, TB and Malaria combined. Three million of those that die are children suffering from poor nutrition. And of the children that survive in sub-Saharan Africa, one in three is stunted – meaning they are so malnourished they will never reach their full potential. It’s this human tragedy that drives our work at Farm Africa to tackle hunger – for good. We’re doing this not by providing yet more food aid – important though that is when famine hits. Instead, we’re tackling hunger long before it becomes an emergency. We do this by working at the grass-roots with smallholder farmers in remote rural areas. We provide them with training in more effective farming techniques. And we also provide them with tools and seeds that produce crops better able to withstand threats like plant disease, extreme heat and erratic rainfall.
But we can only do so much. We know what works, and what doesn’t. But if we’re to use that knowledge to overcome hunger, we need the help and support of new fundraisers. So we’ve been thrilled by the scale of support we’ve received from the UK’s restaurant and hospitality sectors over the last two years. Last year Ashley Palmer-Watts of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal led chefs Paul Foster and Jon Freeman and restaurateur Paolo de Tarso on a climb of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro, that raised thousands of pounds for us. And this year Jason Atherton of Pollen Street Social served up a sumptuous dinner to some very lucky guests at our Gala Ball at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, helping us to raise over £137,000 on the night. Jason spoke of Farm Africa being a cause “close to my heart”. The incredible support we’ve received so far has created ‘Food for Good’, an exciting fundraising campaign that has been turning heads throughout the industry. So it’s hardly surprising that we’ve been made the official charity partner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List for the second year running. And if you’d like your restaurant to get involved with Food for Good, we’d love to hear from you. You can show your support for Food for Good in any number of ways, from including a discretionary £1 on guests’ bills to taking part in a really exciting range of fundraising events. Why not find out more about Food for Good and how you and your restaurant can get involved? You can also get in touch with us via [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you and any ideas you may have. Football tournament
Our next exciting Food for Good event is a Chefs’ five-a-side football tournament to be staged in Birmingham on Sunday 27 July. The tournament, organised for the second year running by Paul Foster, Head Chef at The Dining Room at Mallory Court, will see 20 sides battle it out for the coveted trophy. Tournament spaces are now sold out but you are welcome to come and spectate on the day and to soak up the atmosphere. , but a further tournament is planned for London in the autumn. So please do get in touch to find out how your team can register.
