This report presents the first large-scale, independent analysis of the affordable food club model, examining its role in strengthening UK food security. It draws on extensive survey data from over 14,000 low-income households across England and Scotland, providing insights and policy recommendations of relevance to all four nations of the United Kingdom. The foundational argument for this research is that for a growing number of UK households, food insecurity is not a series of isolated emergencies, but a state of structural precarity that systematically erodes financial, social, and psychological wellbeing.
To frame the analysis, this report uses the ‘Food Ladders’ model. This is a framework designed to provide a conceptual structure for understanding how different forms of food support activity contribute to food security and resilience. The ladder comprises three rungs, supported by the structural ‘rails’ that hold them together. These rails include actors who provide crucial resources such as funding, local government policy support, and community connections. Rung one, ‘Catching,’ includes support like food banks that help people in immediate crisis. Rung two, ‘Capacity Building,’ includes activities such as food clubs that help people develop skills, build social connections, and become more adaptable to cope with future crises. Rung three, ‘Self-Organising,’ involves community-led initiatives such as food co-ops and social enterprises that transform local food systems to eliminate vulnerability. The focus of this report is to determine the effectiveness of food clubs as a rung two activity for building someone’s capability to be food secure.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)