Blog Post Series: Why Bristol businesses should care about food insecurity part 1

In this series, we’ll explore the critical issue of food insecurity in Bristol and why local businesses play a key role in tackling it. From understanding what food insecurity is and why it matters for our city, to exploring how businesses can make an impact through ESG and CSR initiatives, we’ll highlight actionable steps for building a more food-secure and resilient Bristol.

Stay tuned, with a new blog posted weekly

Part 1: What is food insecurity and why does it matter for Bristol?

Food insecurity, defined by the struggle to consume sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food, is a critical issue affecting millions globally.
Closer to home, Bristol, a city known for its vibrant food culture and sustainability initiatives, is sadly far from immune to food insecurity. 

Statistics show that in 2023/2024, 1 in 12 households in Bristol experienced moderate to severe food insecurity (JNSA/2023/2024). At its core, this is caused by structural inequalities that affect the everyday lives of working people - access to affordable transport, availability of fresh food, working hours, employment opportunities, and much more.

These major challenges require a focused approach from local and national Governments to address. But often overlooked is the vital ecosystem of community food projects in our city that are taking local action that’s tailored to the needs of local communities. These projects are playing a crucial role in addressing the worst impacts of food insecurity, and offer some of the simplest and most effective solutions.

Here at Bristol Local Food Fund, we aim not only to reduce food insecurity in our city, but make it a city of food justice - where everyone can access nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food, which is grown, produced, sold and consumed in ways that care for people and the environment. 

Short of changing national policy on transport, health, housing and other major areas, we focus on supporting the incredible community food projects that are on the frontline of food insecurity and have the most innovative, effective ideas to make Bristol a city of food justice. 

To support these community food projects, we fundraise and then distribute money to help them tackle food insecurity, and support food justice. Crucially, we give decision-making power over the funding to a Citizens Panel of local people with lived experience of food insecurity. This is known as participatory grant-making - and we believe that it ensures equity and inclusion in addressing major social problems, making the funding much more effective.

But what does this have to do with businesses in Bristol?

It’s not immediately obvious, but tackling food insecurity affects all aspects of our society - and that means food insecurity should really matter for Bristol businesses.

3 Reasons Businesses Should Care:

1. Community well-being is good for business: Food insecurity is crucial for the health and well-being of any community - and a healthy community makes a strong local economy. When more people have access to fresh, nutritious food, it leads to improved physical and mental health outcomes, better educational attainment, reduced stress, and better overall productivity in workplaces. That’s all good news for businesses, with a healthier workforce and a happier customer base.
   
   

2. Local economy: Addressing food insecurity supports and connects local community food projects, growers, food producers, and local retailers. This keeps more money flowing into our local economy, which in turn keeps Bristol a vibrant and thriving city where all residents can participate fully in economic and social life without the barrier of hunger or poor nutrition.
   
   

3. Environmental impact: Community food projects support sustainability goals because there’s no environmental justice without social justice. Community food projects help to reduce waste, minimise the environmental impacts of unsustainable food systems, and contribute to local food systems and connectivity with good food and health.
   
   

The Role of Businesses

Businesses can play a critical role in tackling food insecurity by integrating this issue into their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategies. In the next posts, we’ll explore how.

To learn more about food justice and participatory grant-making see our blogs on these topics.

We work with businesses across Bristol to support our local food projects to tackle food insecurity. To find out how to support BLFF as a business click on the button below.