How can we tackle food poverty?

Community food projects are working to tackle food poverty in their local areas, giving the power of choice and change back to local communities.  Projects include food co-ops, community cafes, cooking and nutrition programmes and courses, markets, breakfast or lunch clubs, school tuck shops, peer training, and any project which works to improve people’s access to healthy, affordable and sustainable food. 

Community food mapping can identify where food poverty exists.  This technique uses local people’s knowledge to map food availability in a specific area.  The results can be combined with data from other organisations such as Local Authorities, the NHS and businesses.  The results can then be used to implement solutions to food poverty, by designing initiatives tailored to local need.  

The Food Access Network was set up to:

• Develop long term solutions to the underlying causes of food poverty
• Support community food projects, so that they can improve diets, health and wellbeing in their local areas