'Access to food in the UK is very inequitable, and we believe that more attention needs to be placed on overcoming these inequities'

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Going hungry in the UK due to historically high levels of food inflation risks becoming "the new normal" for millions of people, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The study by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex said it was "concerning" that 14% of the population was now suffering from food poverty.

"Access to food in the UK is very inequitable, and we believe that more attention needs to be placed on overcoming these inequities than simply focusing on increased food production through ever more industrialized agriculture," said IDS director Melissa Leach said in a statement.

From fewer than 100 food banks in the UK a decade ago, the number rose to more than 2,000 in 2021, with 9.7 million people in food poverty in September 2022, according to the study.

"Over the last decade, charities have stepped in to plug the gaps left by the state but this is not an acceptable or sustainable way to address the growing prevalence of hunger," Leach added.