Bread Not Bombs slogan & related badges
The Bread Not Bombs slogan has been a powerful symbol of anti-war and anti-poverty activism in the UK and beyond, associated with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and contemporary campaigns.
Origins of the slogan
The Bread Not Bombs slogan has been used in Britain and elsewhere for decades. It carries an anti-war and anti-poverty message and has been used by several different campaigns and organisation over the years.
In the UK, the phrase was notably popularised by CND during the 1980s. Activists often displayed it on banners, posters, and badges, turning a simple slogan into a visual statement. A knitted wall banner replicating the slogan has been created as a fundraiser for the Feminist Library in London.
The slogan was mas likely inspired by the Food Not Bombs grassroot movememnt that began in the United States in1980, but whoever created it remains unknown.Food Not Bombs began when a group of anti-nuclear activistsstarted serving free vegetarian meals outside protests against the Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire.
The broader idea of prioritizing food over militarism is historically older. Bread Not Bombs echoes this theme, with similar sentiments appearing on protest buttons and badges during the Vietnam War era, emphasizing that basic human needs should come before state militarism.
Nourishment versus destruction.
The slogan encapsulates the contrast between nourishment and destruction. Bread symbolizes sustenance, community, and human dignity, while bombs represent war, destruction, and the misuse of public resources. By highlighting this tension, the slogan has served as a moral and political reminder that resources allocated to war could instead feed the hungry.
Other associated Campaigns
Youth Against Hunger
This UK-based campaign engaged young people in fundraising, education, and advocacy around food insecurity. Badges and campaign materials created a visual identity that encouraged youth participation.
War on Want
A longstanding anti-poverty campaign linking hunger with global economic injustice. Badges, posters, and educational materials highlighted issues such as food poverty, corporate exploitation, and international debt relief.
CROP (Christian Rural Overseas Program)
CROP’s “Help CROP Stop Hunger” campaigns included distributing badges at church and community events. These served as symbols of solidarity and tools for fundraising, connecting local communities to global hunger relief efforts.
The loaf lives on
From CND protests in the 1980s to contemporary campaigns supporting Gaza, the "Bread Not Bombs" slogan continues to remind people that another world is possible — one where we feed each other, not fund destruction.
The slogan remains relevant today. In April 2025, Doctors Against Genocide (DAG) protested at the US Capitol using the Bread Not Bombs! slogan. Holding pita bread, they called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the Israeli blockade, and highlighted the starvation of children.
In May 2025, an online campaign titled 'Bread Not Bombs for Gaza' encouraged people to email politicians to pressure the UK to guarantee civilian safety and end weapons shipments to Israel. These modern examples show the slogan’s continued power as a symbol of anti-war advocacy.
Collectors' guide 🔍
☮️ Organisation: Various
🕰️ Age: 1980s - mostly
💎 Rarity: Various
🪙️ Material: Various
📏 Size: Various
🎨 Variations: Various
💰 Price Guide:£10 upwards
📌 Top Tip: Collecting a postcard with a badge goes really well.
Badges connected to the Bread Not Bombs ethos often feature handmade or zine-inspired designs. Typical elements include:
- Visuals: a loaf of bread replacing a missile, wheat growing from a bomb crater, or a peace dove carrying bread.
- Design style: punk, anarchist, grassroots; black-and-white or earth-toned; stencil art, hand-drawn, or upcycled patches.Slogans: 'Bake bread, not bodies', 'Feed the people, starve the war machine', 'Knead dough, not war'.
These badges are worn at peace marches, punk shows, mutual aid food shares, and across online activist spaces. They remain symbols of peaceful rebellion and solidarity with anti-war movements.
Badges featuring Bread Not Bombs, as well as those from Youth Against Hunger, War on Want, and CROP campaigns, are now collectible. Original handmade badges are highly sought after, identifiable by simple materials, hand-drawn typography, or zine-style printing. Later reissues or mass-produced enamel badges retain the iconic bread-and-bomb imagery, making them accessible to collectors while preserving the historical significance of the slogan.
Archive 🔍
Badges 🦡
Warning: include(/home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/widgets/postcard_widget.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/pages/370.php on line 99
Warning: include(/home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/widgets/postcard_widget.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/pages/370.php on line 99
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/widgets/postcard_widget.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/alt/php72/usr/share/pear') in /home/thefriend/youthquakenow.com/pages/370.php on line 99