Tearfund and celebrity chefs support communities struggling with food crisis

Celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Delia Smith and Rick Stein have donated nutritious recipes as part Christian relief and development agency Tearfund's 'Step Up to the Plate' church resource.

As Harvest time approaches, the resource, in support of Tearfund's work to secure good food for families in the poorest communities, looks at how they are coping with long periods of drought, with the increasing impact of climate change on developing countries.

This added to food prices rises - Maize rose by 150 per cent this year in Ethiopia alone - means many families already struggling are experiencing even further hardship.

By working through local churches, Tearfund's partners are teaching alternative farming and irrigation methods to improve yields and secure sufficient food.

Christian Relief and Development Organisation (CREDO) has been working with local pastors and their communities to secure food since the Sahel-wide drought of 2005.

Pastor Philippe, a farmer in Burkina Faso, West Africa says, "People no longer starve the way they starved, or suffer the way they suffered because of support from Credo.

"Hunger is a daily reality for millions in the developing world and we are concerned about the impact of rising food prices on the poorest communities, who struggle to cope with even small increases," says Tearfund's International Director Peter Grant.

He adds, "Tearfund's programmes help poor communities to be better prepared for shocks like droughts, floods, price rises and disease by strengthening their resilience and diversifying livelihoods."

On the web: www.tearfund.org/churches