Food insecurity and poverty affect millions in Italy. In 2025, over 5.7 million people (8.4 per cent of the population), including 1.3 million children, are living in absolute poverty. Nearly 6 million regularly lacked adequate nutrition, while 4.2 million households experienced food deprivation. Rising food prices, stagnant wages, and fragmented welfare systems hit single-parent families, large households, and low-income workers hardest, often forcing them to compromise nutrition and long-term stability.

Since 2022, Action Against Hunger has addressed this crisis through the “No More Hunger: from emergency to self- sufficiency” programme in Milan and Naples. The programme combines immediate food assistance with long-term empowerment, integrating nutritional education, personalised guidance and pathways to employment to help families achieve self-sufficiency.

In 2025, 100 families in Milan received pre-paid food cards and nutrition workshops, along with more than 650 hours of group and one-to-one support sessions. Reported outcomes included healthier diets, increased water consumption, reduced sugar intake, improved food-labelling awareness, and greater levels of physical activity. Employment pathways supported 72 participants to access formal employment, education and informal job opportunities.

In Naples, 101 families received similar support, with almost 600 hours of support sessions leading to improvements in dietary diversity, reduced sugar intake, and greater awareness of food labelling. The employment pathways supported 40 people.

Through these initiatives, Action Against Hunger combines immediate relief with long-term solutions, supporting vulnerable families in regaining control over their nutrition, health and livelihoods, while advocating for structural policies to tackle poverty and food insecurity nationwide.