‘Man-made famine’: Co-op joins food brands’ calls on Govt for Gaza aid action
More than 150 UK food and drink businesses have signed an open letter urging the government to take urgent action to end the starvation crisis in Gaza, accusing the UK of not doing enough to stop a “man-made famine”.
Led by Pip & Nut founder Pippa Murray, and supported by the likes of Co-op’s Matt Hood, Innocent co-founder Richard Reed, and Trip founder and co-CEO Olivia Ferdi, the letter demands Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy push for immediate humanitarian access.
The signatories say their sector cannot remain silent while children and families in Gaza “wonder if they’ll eat today,” calling the situation a “moral, not political” issue.
The letter outlines four demands; to open all land crossings into Gaza without delay; to restore full UN-led aid flow (food, water, medicine, fuel); to end the siege pushing families to famine; and to secure an immediate ceasefire for aid access and recovery.
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The coalition, which spans major retail, challenger brands and SMEs, say that children are dying from starvation, citing UN data reporting over 58,000 deaths since October 2023, including 18,000 children.
“When you work in a food business, you can’t look away from what’s happening in Gaza,” said Murray. “This is not a political issue – it’s a moral one. Every day that passes without decisive action is another day a child could die from hunger.”
Among the signatories include Co-op Food MD as well as leaders from THIS!, BOL Foods, Rubies in the Rubble, FUEL10K, Bio & Me, Candy Kittens, The Biscuiteers, Wildfarmed, Dash Water, Pip Organic, Kendamil, Better Nature and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee.
The letter follows growing consumer concern and industry pressure around ethical sourcing and responsible leadership in the food and drink sector.
Earlier this year, Co-op agreed to stop selling products from countries, such as Israel, identified as committing community-wide human rights abuses or violating international law, following a full board review, prompted by a members boycott vote.
In May, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested in Washington DC, after staging a protest during a US Senate hearing to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Open letter’s full list of signatories
- Pip Murray, CEO and Founder, Pip & Nut
- Matt Hood, Managing Director of Food, Co-op Group
- Richard Reed, Co-Founder, innocent*
- Edward Perry, CEO & Co-Founder, Cook Foods
- Mark Cuddigan, CEO, THIS!
- Paul Brown, Founder & CEO, BOL Foods
- Cassandra Stavrou, Founder, PROPER Snacks
- Jenny Costa, Founder & CEO, Rubies in the Rubble
- Harry Mayhew, Co-Founder, Ember Snacks
- Jack Mayhew, Co-Founder, Ember Snacks
- Emilie Holmes, Founder, Good & Proper
- Tom Forsythe, Managing Director, Good & Proper
- Giles Brook, Chairman, Pip & Nut
- Anuradha Chugh, Ex-CEO, Pukka Herbs*
- Jac Chetland, Co-Founder, Surreal
- Kit Gammell, Co-Founder, Surreal
- Scott Davies, Founder & CEO, Hilltop Honey
- Barney Mauleverer, Co-founder, FUEL10K, Chair at Future of Food
- Jon Walsh, Co-Founder & CEO, Bio & Me
- Andrew Hunt, Co-Founder & CEO, Aduna Foods
- Lisa Macfarlane, Co-Founder, The Gut Stuff
- Alana Macfarlane, Co-Founder, The Gut Stuff
- Joe Roberts-Walker, Founder, Mejuicer
- Emily Tout, Co-Founder, Mighty Slice
- Jamie Cumming, Co-Founder, Mighty Slice
- Paul Hargreaves, CEO, Cotswold Fayre
- Josie Harfield, Co-Founder, Neat
- Ryan McSorley, Co-Founder, Neat
- Duncan Goose, Founder, One Water & The One Foundation
- Sara Trechman, Co-Founder & Director, Well&Truly
- Sam Moss, Co-Founder, STOCKED
- Charlie Gilpin, Co-Founder, STOCKED
- Duncan O’Brien, Founder, Dalston’s
- Elin Roberts, Co-Founder, Better Nature
- Christopher Wong, Co-Founder, Better Nature
- Ando Ahnan-Winarno, Co-Founder, Better Nature
- Fabio Rinaldo, Co-Founder, Better Nature
- Ed Hauck, Co-Founder, The Curators
- Max Rees, Co-Founder, The Curators
- Imme Ermgassen, Co-Founder, Botivo
- Sam Paget Steavenson, Co-Founder, Botivo
- Oussama Azzam, Founder, Maliks Honey
- Stu Forsyth, Founder, Minor Figures
- Laura Harnett, Founder, Seep
- Damien Gray, Founder & CEO, Soak’d
- Erin Moroney, Founder, Nibble Simply
- Damien Kennedy, Founder & CEO, WheyHey
- Dan Kaminski, Co-Founder, WheyHey
- Pete Joubert, Managing Director, MOMA
- Laura Willoughby MBE, Co-Founder, Club Soda
- Alex Theophanous, CEO, Mahabis
- Dr Megan Rossi, Founder of The Gut Health Doctor & Bio&Me
- Nikki Garg, Co-Founder, Kwerky
- Suhani Bhudia, Co-Founder, Kwerky
- Tamoy Carter, Co Founder, Super Nature
- Fergus O’Sullivan, Founder, Nice Rice
- Luke Montgomery-Smith, Co-Founder, PLINK!
- Ella Harland, Co-Founder, Griddle
- Sophie McGregor, Co-Founder, Griddle
- Luke Boase, Founder, Lucky Saint
- Kat Stennett, Co-founder, Myota
- Thomas Gurry, Co-founder, Myota
- Jeremy May, Co-Founder, Nice Wine
- Raissa De Hass, Co-Founder, Double Dutch
- Joyce De Hass, Co-Founder, Double Dutch
- Olivia Ferdi, Founder & Co-CEO, TRIP
- Daniel Khoury, Founder & Co-CEO, TRIP
- Alex Steward, Founder & CEO, PACK’D
- Steve Kearns, Managing Director, Cawston Press
- Chris Cheadle, Co-Founder & Managing Director, The Northern Dough Co.
- Amy Cheadle, Co-Founder, The Northern Dough Co.
- James Hughes, Founder, Brewgooder
- Alan Mahon, Founder, Brewgooder
- Mike Turner, Founder & Managing Director, Bird & Blend Tea
- Helena Hills, Co-Founder & CEO, Truestart Coffee
- Kate Prince, Founder, Ancient & Brave
- Rana Righton, Founder & Managing Director, The Gluten Free Bakery
- Maxine Laceby, Co-Founder, Absolute Collagen
- Darcy Laceby, Co-Founder, Absolute Collagen
- Alice Wainwright, Co-Founder, RISE Coffee Box
- Ben Charalambous, Co-Founder, RISE Coffee Box
- Hugh Thomas, Founder, Giants Coffee
- Ingo Braeunlich, Founder, ADONiS
- Sally Preston MBE, Founder, Kiddylicious & Start Up investor
- Alex Wright, CEO & Co-Founder, DASH Water
- Jack Scott, Co-Founder, DASH Water
- Paul Turton, CEO, Pact Coffee
- Rob Martineau, Co-Founder, Tribe
- Karen O’Flaherty, Co-Founder, Pip Organic
- Patrick O’Flaherty, Co-Founder, Pip Organic
- Olly Hiscocks, Founder, Ollys
- Dan Webber, Founder & Managing Director, Chimney Fire Coffee
- Paul Bethke, Founder & CEO, Lemonaid
- Freya Twigden, Founder, Fix8
- Harriet Hastings, Founder, The Biscuiteers
- George Lamb, Co-Founder, Wildfarmed
- Shezad Aslan, Aagrah Foods
- Tor Hunt-Taylor, General Manager, The Collective
- Mark Prove, Co-Founder, Zuppe
- James Livingstone-Wallace, CEO & Founder, Quinola Mothergrain
- Monique Foy, CEO & Co-Founder, Cosmic Dealer
- James Ives, Co Founder, Alt Water
- Alicia Weston BEM, CEO and founder, Bags of Taste
- Ed Williams, Co-Founder, Candy Kittens
- Bethan Higson, Founder, Mother Root
- Adam Sopher, Founder & CEO, Joe & Sephs
- Simon Day, Co-Founder, Wholesome Heroes
- Duncan Keith, Co-Founder, Days Brewing
- Jayne Hynes, Co-Founder, Rinaldo’s Speciality Tea & Coffee
- Bobby Patel, CEO, Whatever Brands
- Fakhruddin Paisawala, CEO, Fresh4U
- Francesca Zampi, CEO & Founder, YEW
- Ellie Pheobe Brown, Founder, Kinda Co
- Rosamund Heathcote, CEO & Founder, Borough Broth
- Hannah McCollum, CEO & Founder, ChicP
- Tom Warner, Founder & Co-CEO, Warner’s Distillery
- Tina Warner-Keogh, Founder & Co-CEO, Warner’s Distillery
- Jim Cregan, Founder, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee
- Trever Smallwood, Cillus Ltd
- Chris Morrison, Co-Founder, Karma Drinks
- Dylan McMahon, Co-Founder, Kendamil
- Will McMahon, Co-Founder, Kendamil
- Ross McMahon, Co-Founder, Kendamil
- James Cadbury, Founder, Love Cocoa
- Tom Stevens, Operations Director, Cambridge Commodities
- Kirsty Henshaw, Co-Founder, Kirsty’s
- Mark Goddard, CEO, Organix
- Natalia Bojanic, Co Founder, Form Nutrition
- Jagir Mankodi, Co Founder, Superfoodio
- Nirali Buch Mankodi, Co Founder, Superfoodio
- Suzie Bakos, Founder, The Little Sauce
- Alistair Frost, Founder, Pentire
- Mark Dyer, Founder, The Gay Farmer
- Manal Ramadan White, CEO, Zaytoun CIC
- Chester Robinson, Founder, RAISE Snacks
- Gini Newton, Founder, Karma Cans/Karma Kitchens
- Eccie Newton, Founder, Karma Cans/Karma Kitchens
- Alex Webster, Co-Founder and Managing Director, GENIE Drinks
- Riya Patel, Co-Founder, All the Aunties
- Jack Newton, Co-Founder, All the Aunties
- Priya Pankhania, Co-Founder, Prepear
- Zee Ahmed, Co-Founder, Raju Sauces
- Stephanie Buttery, Founder, Chu Lo Drinks
- Will Huhes, Founder, What Willy Cook
- Ira Guha, Founder, Asan
- Lilijan Sulejmanovic, Founder, Bardo
- Suzie Bakos, Founder, The Little Sauce
- Adejare Doherty, Founder, Wholeleaf
- Imogen Royall, Co-Founder and CEO, Northern Pasta
- Paula Raubenheimer, Founder, Marty’s Virgin Bloody MaryKate Kofman, CEO, Pesto
