Food Jam seeks solutions to food poverty crisis

A RANGE of groups met at Abertay University to discuss how to tackle Dundee’s growing food poverty crisis.

The Food Jam brought together about 30 representatives from various groups such as the James Hutton Institute, Zero Waste Scotland, NHS Health Scotland and Dundee Social Enterprise Network.

It took place as Dundee’s foodbanks remain Scotland’s busiest, population-wise, with latest statistics showing that 3,813 people were referred to one between April and September 2016, of whom 1,050 were children.

Alternative approaches discussed included food chain redesign, community-driven food supply systems and opportunities with urban orchards, city farms and local farms.

James Hilder, of the Social Enterprise Academy, said much more could be done in Dundee and across Scotland to make food available more cheaply.

“What we are trying to do is to tackle the issue of food poverty and food waste,” he said.

“We have got the issue of figuring out what the specific challenges are that people are facing and, although everyone has heard of foodbanks, some families can’t get to them because of issues such as transport problems. “It’s the whole issue of do people eat or heat? “The conference was about getting different groups together, such as businesses, farmers, and community projects, to try to come up with creative solutions so we can get cheaper food to people who are in need of it most.”