Post to tackle poverty

Food role created

Food poverty will be tackled by a new dedicated officer at South Lanarkshire Council.

Members agreed to recruit a policy officer for food development – with a salary of between £29,161 to £35,311 a year – at a meeting of the community and enterprise resources committee.

Alongside pilots of school breakfast and summer holiday lunch clubs, the job has been created to ensure that food initiatives are delivered in a comprehensive way – and coordinated with the council’s partners.

Committee chair, East Kilbride Central South councillor John Anderson, said: “Food is essential to our health and survival; it is at the heart of our economy, shapes our environment and helps form our cultural and social lives.

“Unfortunately, community food initiatives across Scotland are increasingly responding to demand from people experiencing the most severe effects of food poverty.

“However, balancing that need for short-term food provision with creating sustainable change for people experiencing food poverty is a rising challenge.

“The creation of this post is a further demonstration of our commitment to tackling food poverty in South Lanarkshire to promote the good health of all our residents.”

The new officer will oversee the development of a community food plan and council food forum as well as enhancing and supporting both the local authority’s allotment and food strategies; and help source more locally-produced food.