Rushanara Ali MP, Shadow Minister for International Development, joined MPs and Peers of all parties in the Palace of Westminster for the launch of a major new campaign by 100 of Britain’s leading development charities and faith groups.

The event was hosted by Mr Speaker, the Rt John Bercow MP and newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky and featured speeches from the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, the Leader of the Labour Party, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, and the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP.

‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’ is the largest coalition of its kind in the UK since Make Poverty History in 2005. The campaign warns that in a world where there is enough food for everyone, the scandal of children growing up hungry also imposes a grave economic burden on the developing world, costing £78 billion over the next 15 years.

As well as the 937 million children and young people (aged 15-40) whose life chances will be permanently damaged by the impact of childhood hunger by 2025, the report estimates that malnutrition will be costing developing countries an annual $125 billion (£78 billion) in lost economic output by 2030.

Rushanara said: “Great strides have been made in reducing poverty and 14,000 fewer children are dying each day than in 1990. But hunger is threatening to reverse these achievements and climate change is making things even worse. I’m delighted to be backing the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign – we really do have the opportunity to make 2013 an historic year by showing global leadership and delivering clear plans to tackle hunger and its root causes at the G8 and beyond.”

“David Cameron needs to show leadership by making sure that his Government keeps its promises on aid. There is also a need for greater transparency, and the Government needs to do more to close tax loopholes which are allowing big companies to dodge tax in developing countries.

Enough Food for Everyone IF is a coalition of more than 100 organisations and counting which have joined together to campaign for action by the G8 on the issue of global hunger. The last time we worked together at this scale was for Make Poverty History. Now that the G8 group of world leaders are returning to the UK, we are demanding they take action on hunger. 2013 won’t be the end of hunger, but it could be the beginning of the end. Join us at www.enoughfoodif.org

The ‘IF’ movement challenges the Prime Minister to tackle 4 big IFs to help there be enough food for everyone:

• IF governments close loopholes to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger.
• IF governments keep their promises on aid, invest to stop children dying from malnutrition and help the poorest people feed themselves through investment in small farmers.
• IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and use the available agricultural land to grow food for people, not biofuels for cars.
• IF we force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make in the poorest countries that stop people getting enough food.