hi!

Morning everyone :)

Can anyone else hear anything?

Ignore that question. I can now

Can we record the meeting?

Morning, all!

Morning everyone!

Morning everyone

This meeting is being recorded - we'll share recording after the webinar

Thank you, Zoe :)

Morning everyone, welcome!Today we will hear from:Anna Taylor, Food Foundation (@Food_Foundation)Dr Maria Bryant, Department of Health Sciences and the Hull York Medical School, University of York (@HealthSciYork @HullYorkMed)Paul Gerrard, Campaigns & Public Affairs Director, The Co-op (@coopuk)Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability Rights UK (@DisRightsUK)Lindsay Graham, Poverty and Inequality Commissioner (@LindsayGrahamUK)Thanks to all speakers for joining us

Beautiful morning to everyone, glad to be here

Morning everyone, Tilly from Eat Well Age Well, part of Food Train Scotland. We work particularly around older people's food security. Looking forward to listening and learning.

If you have questions for the speakers during the presentation please put their name first and then post your question in the chat. We'll have a few minutes at the end for Q&A. e.g. Q for Anna: xxx

Good morning everyone

Morning all - I'm Mary - the Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire

Good morning everyone - Mari Burton, policy specialist for child poverty with the National Education Union (NEU).

Hello everyone! Zoe Griffiths here. I'm a Freelance Nutritionist specialising in public health.

Hello everyone! My name is Louise Cairns, I work at Edinburgh Community Food. We are a community development organisation and work on various projects to improve availability and accessibility to fresh, nutritious food. Looking forward to the webinar.

Would we be able to be sent these slides please?

Yes will circulate slides with recording after the webinar

Data is all in our new report published last week:

We'll be presenting data from our new report - here's the link:https://foodfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FF_Impact-of-Covid_FINAL.pdf

Louise Cains - it'd be good to touch base at some stage

Hi Mary - yes, that would be great. This is our website: https://www.edinburghcommunityfood.org.uk/

Thank you. I don't yet have a specific website but I'll be in touch

Hi I'm delighted to see that children have been asked about their experiences for food insecurity - directly - and horrified but sadly not surprised to see these results. Two questions for the panel - what are the implications of these findings for national measuring and monitoring food insecurity? How did you capture these data?

We've published children's experiences on our website here:https://foodfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FF_Impact-of-Covid_Childwise_Worries.pdf

Hi Mari, good to join you on here, would love to work with you on this issue within the NEU

and our full report here (children's responses pp. 15)https://foodfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FF_Impact-of-Covid_FINAL.pdf

Learn more about Covid Realities: https://covidrealities.org/

Hi I have a question for Anna curious of the breakdown of 'adult' category- how many adults are older people over 65 who completed the questionnaire? Interesting to see social isolation being recognised. Our work in Scotland with older people has found social isolation is a direct risk factor of malnutrition and food insecurity for older people, which Covid has exaggerated Though we have found in this social group financial access is not necessarily the main factor in affecting an individual's food security- social isolation, physical food access, mobility etc being more significant.

great quote

Let them eat biscuits.

Agree :)

The global humanitarian sector has been significantly moving away from food parcels to food vouchers. Cant believe in UK we still at food parcels discussion

Siobhan Collingwood- Headteacher and Violence reduction education lead, Lancashire. Our school data and local foodbank data shows an over 400% increase in food bank referrals within our community. and a 10x increase in parental mental health issues. I am hugely concerned about support services being overwhelmed by a tsunami of need from once lockdown lifts. Services were struggling to cope pre-covid. What are the panel hearing if anything about a nationwide response to this issue.

Stephanie Maia - Co-founder, Feed. This is an excellent capture of data from families and children of the 8+yrs and it is so very important to note that financial and voucher schemes are not sufficient (even more so for those families with NRPF). Did you capture any data on infants, specifically formula fed infants, particularly given that most food banks do not offer direct provision of first infant formula?

Yes, Tilly, we found similar findings in Coventry. Social isolation and financial considerations posed different types of concerns.

@jehangir Malik - not across the UK, most Local Authorities in Scotland have been providing cash payments to families, food parcels are not the go-to everywhere in the UK.

Hi @Tilly, of the 4231 respondents to the survey, 1671 were over the age of 55 (we don't know how many over 65 I'm afraid), but this only tells us about the age of the respondent and doesn't tell us how many respondents were in households with older adults.

@Jayne - Great to see this in Scotland.

Did the survey on food sector workers also include those who work in the hospitality sector?

@VickyPyrne no we just asked about food sector workers

this is data from living wage foundation mentioned by Paul: https://www.livingwage.org.uk/sites/default/files/Low%20pay%20in%20the%20supermarket%20sector.%20LWF%20briefing_0.pdf

Great questions!!

I think it’s called the ugly side of our capitalism

@Paul -- absolutely agree with the broader questions

I have a question for @Paul Gerrard - what more can food retailers do to tackle food insecurity issues in remote, rural and island communities? Due to their very nature it’s far more expensive for people in rural, remote and island communities to access food, and being at the end of supply chains can feel (and can be) more fragile. Retail price structures can add to this - I pay far more for shopping than someone visiting a Co-op in a town; is there more you can do to review those pricing structures to help tackle these specific issues?

One problem is we human beings have short memories. Food sector workers valued when we need them but then 'we' move on...

@VickiPyne, the question we asked regarding food sector workers was: Do you or anyone in your household work in the food sector (e.g in food retail or distribution, hospitality, food manufacturing or wholesale etc.)?

access to healthy & nutritious food is more expensive -- WHY?

Thanks that helps answer my question. As the eating out of home sector has been impacted significantly during the pandemic, I was interested to hear whether staff from this sector had been captured rather than just from retailers and manufacturers.

Both the data re BAME people and re people with disabilities reflect our local findings in Brighton & Hoe

Thanks for clarifying @Shona Goudie.

Parcels vs Vouchers -- closely connected with the Food Surplus redistribution increasingly considered THE solution to food insecurity. No major discussion around this...

just really emphasises why outreach to find people who are struggling is so important.

are there differences by ethnicity in terms of drivers and also barriers in terms of access to help?

Really important work and excellent to see recommendations including the Real Living Wage

Jayne Jones, supplying food to remote, rural communities is more challenging and it is noticeable that for those communities it is very often the Co-op, independent co-op societies or community stores that provide food retail for them which speaks volumes I think about what kind of businesses commit to those communities and we've been clear we will continue to do so. I'm not aware of particular pricing differentials for us but don't have the detail to hand. Paul

Relevant quote for eligibility from our COVID realities project....

“We have no FSM support, this causes problems as we are a low income familiy, I am a single parent and self employed with a super precarious and changeable income… In school this means that my children are not flagged up as struggling as many schools use FSM as a measure of familiy circumstances. It has caused problems for us when I have needed to let school know that we couldn't afford some things, like a trip, technology, transport etc. It's almost like they think that I am making it up. A lack of understanding of different income related benefits and issues such as rising in work poverty means that schools are not good at identifying where support is needed without the FSM label.”

The retailers have responded well to the this crisis. We need to link the central food provision with hot food cooking provision (schools) over 7 days each week so that kids have access to wholesome cooked food everyday. Life insecurity for 5m people is about being able to buy food, heating and clothing.

Any more questions? we'll take them from the floor in the next few mins

Hi Zoe, would it be possible to circulate the slide deck please? Thanks in advance

Thanks, @Paul Gerrard - share your view that Coop and others are part of the community, and that is very evident in rural, remote and island communities. We have recently developed a Scottish group looking at food insecurities in these communities, bringing together Scottish Government, Local Authorities, Food Standards Scotland and retailers - it would be good to follow up to ensure we work in partnership as we drill into this issue.

Yes of course Sharon will circulate with the recording after the wbinar

Brilliant, thanks :)

Thank you very much for today’s update and some key recommendations to take forward.

Well said, @Lindsay!

There is a hidden problem around prevalence. Schools and local groups are making super human efforts to plug official response. Without these efforts I shudder to think of what the reality would be.

voice of experts by experience is vital in countering the stigmatisation and victim blaming of those experiencing food insecurity, to push back against the narrative of the un-deserving poor.

School food provision should simply be include in the Education budget covering all food from 7am to 5pm . Use food to teach! The NHS is free at point use so why isn't school food?

Food Sector workers are not paid decent wages but the Supermarkets & Food Logistics are making huge profits out of food. Producers at the bottom, Farmers have to sell produce at a loss, When will the food industry address this? There is crazy inequalities in the food industry...

This is an EXCELLENT suggestion Lindsay!!

Hilary Cottam's book -Radical, offers an alternative approach to support for the vulnerable.

Hear hear Lindsay Graham

@Alison -- engaging with food industry is most relevant to ensure equitable access

Thank you Lindsay. You are awesome as always. hitting the nail on the head!

we have so much to do

Brilliant Lindsay, I couldn’t agree more

Absolutely! and yes to recognising we must involve children and young people in this conversation

thank you for your powerful advocacy

Scottish Government have committed funding to roll out FSM to all children in Primary schools, starting this coming August. Huge step forward.

@Lindsay, that was loud and profound suggestions. Thank you

In my area I'm balancing food provision (if people are hungry they need food) with projects/plans for helping people to become more self reliant - small steps alongside food provision but both are needed for the future

this may have been said already but I have been concerned to see the drastic reduction of food being left for food banks in supermarkets collection

Bags of Taste (www.bagsoftaste.org) works exclusively on resilience for people in food poverty and has excellent outcomes. We are also able to do this currently, remotely, as effectively as before (we have worked with 1,200 people since the start of the pandemic). We're open to collaborations with other organisations, please do get in touch

And for the same reasons, it is completely inappropriate to expect people with health problems to exist from food bank offerings too. The food the food banks are able to provide is quite often nutritionally inadequate in quality and quantity.

Spot on Paul!!

I agree Paul. We have to continue to press on these issues whilst the public is more aware then previous.

Thanks for the 'bags of taste' link - I'll check that out

many mosques and local charities from different communities are making significant efforts around food distribution

ultimately everyone wants to feel they can feed their families sustainably. They don't want to be reliant on free or even "surplus" food. Bags of Taste ensures that people can maintain their dignity and do this.

With regards to FSM, what is provided is a large issue (nutritional quality), similarly to food parcels. Not everywhere of course.

Many charities we work with are moving towards social pantries & community supermarkets

Thanks Zoe but the mental heath rise was 10x greater and 1000%

To Mary, well done and agree - as a Foodbank Manager we have to give food in response ti hunger. Seeking also alternative responses & support.

@Paul -- the big question -- how to move beyond emergency solutions to sustainable, resilient food systems

Fantastic and engaging webinar. Thank you to all the wonderful speakers and amazing work you are all doing to make a difference.

thank you. please do keep in touch if you wish to uddinm@parliament.Uk Twitter @Manzilauddin

Ditto Lopa

Sorry I need to leave for another meeting. Very good webinar - thank you from Sheffield City Council

Its shocking that Bryan Kirkup says "let them eat biscuits"

Any questions we don't have time to answers please get in touch office@foodfoundation.org.uk

@ Magdalena Rechnio - correct, further changes come into effect for school meals in Scotland this April, we have the most stringent regulations for school food provision to ensure they are healthy and nutritious. We always hear the negative stories, but there are so many good stories out there

Surplus waste food Cannot be the answer to Food insecurity, this stigmatised people even further.

Totally agree Alison.

I help run a social grocery store in Brighton which is about providing a long term solution to food insecurity and empowering people who use us through our membership scheme so Paul’s comments and the recommendations of this latest report really chime

The problem with food surplus is it also allows the companies producing the surplus to whitewash it with CSR

"in the meantime" politics at play...

Retailers don't want to waste food or have surplus, They will eventually have less over time. This cannot be the solution to food insecurity.

Totally agree with Paul's comments

rather than actually solving the problem of wasting food

Bye everyone. Need to go. Thank you

Thanks all for joining!

Absolutely, @Lindsay!

The Solutions to food insecurity must recognize that people must be paid living wage and the whole reliance on volunteers for services when many volunteers cannot afford to eat.

Lindsay, do you know where the report on school food banks came from? That is a really shocking find.

@William Troughton, I disagree that retailers don't want food surplus. This system is what they have created to systemise their problems and preserve their profits. This works for them

Please share your thoughts with us on what we've presented and our data @Food_Foundation on Twitter

Yes Lindsay!!!

Laura it was a Kellogg's report.

Thanks all for joining!

fantastic that Scotland is doing that

I have been in education for over 30 years and there has never been a greater need than at present to feed our children and families, the response of food banks is noy something to be proud of

Thanks Kate

Report on The Guardian

Thank you Lindsay for the shout out to school caterers.

Thanks all, very informative and stimulating

IFAN & Trussell are against the making Foodbanks a normal part response.

Brilliant webinar, so informative and educative. Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for joining and thank you to our fantastic speakers

Thank you for today.

Thank you!

Thank you

Thank you - fantastic and informative webinar

Thanks everyone

thank you to all

So useful, thank you all.

Thank you for a really informative webinar

Thanks everyone

Excellent work!

thank you

Thank you for your time

Thank you everyone.

Thanks all!

thank you :)

thank you - excellent webinar

Thank you!

Thanks everyone, great chat!