Councils have been urged to appoint a Food Champion and work with a Food Partnership in a bid to tackle food poverty.
The Co-operative Party argue that councils which have a visible lead member for food poverty and have a Food Partnership are more effective at responding to issues such as child food poverty and holiday hunger.
Research by the party found nearly half (47%) of upper tier councils have a visible lead member for food poverty, while 37% work with a Food Partnership.
Cllr Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council and leader of the Local Government Association (LGA) Labour Group, said: ‘Councils have taken extraordinary action to fight food poverty during the pandemic. But in the face of an economic downturn that could spell months or years of crisis, we need to support councils to implement long-term systemic change in how we deal with food poverty in our communities.
’By taking the lead in coordinating the charities, businesses and community groups all wanting to do their bit to combat food poverty, we can make sure the incredible efforts of the past few months are the foundations of a more sustainable future.’
The Co-operative Party has launched an online tool to show what action local councils have taken to tackle food poverty and encourage the public to engage with councils that are yet to take action.
