Dev Sharma

Activist, Connector, Environmentalist, Social entrepreneur

Dev Sharma is an 18-year-old food activist, Youth MP, and a force to be reckoned with in the world of food justice. Hailing from the UK, Dev is on a mission to bring about significant change in the food environment and advocate for the end of food insecurity and right to healthy, affordable food for all young people. As a Member of the Youth Parliament (Youth MP) in the UK and Former Chair of Bite Back 2030, Dev leads campaigns and initiatives aimed at transforming the landscape of food access, education, and policy. Dev's commitment to change has led to significant victories. In recent years, Dev has led two high-profile campaigns that have resulted in significant policy changes from the UK Government. Most notably, he began the campaign to ban junk food advertising online, starting an online open letter campaign to Boris Johnson. In June 2021, he was successful in getting the government to ban junk food advertising online after the policy was announced in the Queens Speech. His campaign was supported by celebrities such as Jamie Oliver and other large charities. Additionally, he co-led Bite Back’s campaign that secured extended Free School Meal funding during the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring that over 1.4 million children in poverty could access good quality food and was later picked up by Marcus Rashford. Most notably, he spearheaded the campaign to restrict junk food advertising online, which the UK Government committed to in 2021. Since age 14, Dev has earned numerous accolades and awards for his unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership. In 2020, he received the prestigious Diana Award for youth social action, and in 2021, he was elected Chair of Bite Back 2030. In 2022, he was honored with the UK Parliament Award and later became the first Youth MP in history to be elected consecutively from two different constituencies. His work has garnered international acclaim and support from notable figures such as Jamie Oliver and Dame Emma Thompson, with invitations to speak at prestigious events such as the UK House of Commons, COP26, and UN in New York.

Climate and Food Justice

Banning Junk Food Advertising Online

Climate Change, Food, Food Injustice, Food Insecurity, Food Poverty, Food Systems, GenZ, UK Parliament, Youth