Policy Brief: Tackling food insecurity through different models of local support

Fair Food Futures UK is an NIHR-funded research project that aims to understand the role of community food organisations, such as food banks, social supermarkets, community cafes and co-ops in addressing food insecurity across the UK.

Fair Food Futures UK is comprised of researchers from University of York, University College London (UCL) and the Bradford Institute for Health Research, as well as people who have experienced food insecurity and staff from Bradford and Tower Hamlets Councils. 

As part of this work, the research team has just completed the first phase of their research in Bradford and Tower Hamlets and have published this policy briefing and the full report. 

Their findings highlight the complexity of the community food support system and the challenges organisations face. The recommendations identify actions for local and national policymakers as well as community food organisations themselves.

To build a detailed picture of the community food support system, the researchers carried out a survey of organisations, systems mapping workshops with staff and service users and interviews with stakeholders.

The research highlighted the scale and diversity of the sector; looked at different ways to alleviate, reduce or prevent food insecurity; and examined challenges and uncertainties in the sector.

Recommendations include short term strategies, such as coordinating provision across local authorities and supporting community food organisations to identify and address people’s underlying needs. Long-term recommendations include reform of the social security system and focusing on ‘cash first’ approaches. 

Read the full report and policy brief.

Giorgia Previdoli (University of York) has also published this blogpost based on her ongoing ethnographic work in Bradford. 

Please contact Rachel Benchekroun (Tower Hamlets) or Giorgia Previdoli (Bradford) for more information.