In a world of climate crisis, conflict and alarm over food security, how can we future-proof our own long-term supply of food here in the UK?
In this special edition, we’ve visited food banks to get the view from the front lines, and dug into the advice on how to help your community become more resilient.
We also went to Norwich, where the green shoots of self-sufficiency are starting to grow, and met the people using food as a way to lift people out of homelessness. It’s a lot to chew on.
What else is in this week’s Big Issue?
The charity showing Labour the way
Big Issue is squeezed into the corner of a small food pantry behind a row of photographers at Independence Initiative in Liverpool. The pantry allows 100 families a week to shop with dignity, picking out their own produce with the help of Carl and Darren. The charity has helped both of them overcome homelessness and addiction. Carl, from Southport, says he had been sleeping rough in a graveyard in fear after his tent had been set on fire. Darren’s addiction issues saw him “disowned” by his family for six years. “It can happen to anyone now. Everyone’s just a few bits of bad luck away from being homeless,” says today’s visitor: Andy Burnham.
Portrait Artist of the Year
Britain’s celebrities are clamouring to spend four quiet hours in a chair, having their portraits painted for a TV series. But is Portrait Artist of the Year also where human creativity rallies a defence against the AI onslaught? Big Issue spent an unusual afternoon on set with Louis Theroux, Anthony Scaramucci and Stephen Mangan.
Si King’s Letter to my Younger Self
From teenage music dreams to TV fame, the Hairy Biker has had a wild ride. Now, after the death of his best friend and sidekick, he’s steering a different course.
