Over 100 charities, faith groups and development organisations led by Oxfam have joined together in the largest initiative to tackle hunger since the Make Poverty History Campaign. The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign seeks to tackle corporate tax avoidance and establish more responsible relationships worldwide.

At its launch this week, those behind the campaign said hunger and malnutrition in childhood will trap almost a billion young people in poverty by 2025, and worldwide one in eight people are living with the pain of hunger.

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The coalition was formed in an attempt to raise awareness and break the "scandal" of inequality in a world where enough food is produced to feed everyone comfortably, but close to a billion people suffer from malnutrition. The group said in its first report that perpetuation of this inequality will cost the developing world £78 billion over the next 15 years. The reality of producing food in a changing climate is also set to exacerbate problems.

Although the groups claim "great strides have been made in reducing poverty," they maintain rising and increasingly volatile food prices, driven at least in part by commodity speculators, risk reversing this modest progress. Last year, a number of respected political economists compiling a report on grain traders and the global cereal market warned of the damaging effects of financialisation on the food market; they said, "Financial actors who know little about the physical production of food are affecting the real world of food production and consumption through investments on commodity futures markets. As such, financialization has further abstracted food from its physical form."

In the UK, the numbers of people needing to use food banks has risen alarmingly under the current government. According to shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh, the number of UK residents using food banks has increased six fold in the past three years. The Labour MP said the number of people being referred to food banks in the UK rose from 40,898 in 2009\10 to 128,000 in 11\12 then to 250,000 in 12/13.

Campaign puts pressure on government

The IF campaign was launched in London on Wednesday (23rd January). On Thursday, Oxfam's Chief Executive Barbara Stocking welcomed David Cameron's pledge to crack down on corporate tax avoidance. Campaigners had called on the Prime Minister to use the UK's G8 presidency to act to tackle the causes of hunger.

Ms Stocking said, "I am delighted the Prime Minister made such a strong moral case against tax avoidance in both the UK and developing countries. There can be no moral justification for companies wriggling out of paying their fair share to society. Every pound of tax companies avoid paying to poor countries is one pound lost to the fight against hunger. The fact that tax dodging costs poor countries $160bn-a-year while one in eight people in the world do not have enough to eat is nothing short of a scandal. The charities that yesterday launched the If campaign will be putting pressure on David Cameron and other G8 leaders to turn his rhetoric into reality."

Taking action on the 'corporation tax gap' by multinational companies alone would enable developing countries to raise enough revenue every day to save the lives of 230 children under 5 currently dying because of malnutrition. 

The IF coalition set out its four aims this week. According to those behind the campaign, hunger can be effectively addressed around the world:

• 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 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 governments stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger. 
• 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. 

Campaign events will take place across the UK, including the showing of a short film, which gives context to the campaign. The IF website will also provide a hub, offering news and support for the campaign and those willing to get involved. The campaign's organisers hope that a critical mass of support can be achieved, which will force world leaders to act.