ABOUT 15 per cent of the population experience some type of food deprivation and for those on low incomes this figure rises to 35 per cent, the Healthy Food For All organisation has said.
Launching a guide promoting community food initiatives, Marjo Moonen, chairwoman of the organisation, said eating healthy food should not be the preserve of the well-off and all communities should have access to healthy food they can afford.
“Research shows the poorer you are, the more likely you are to experience bad health, and food and nutrition are key determinants of health,” she said.
“We know the greatest obstacles to accessing a healthy diet are shortage of money and the cost of nutritionally adequate food. Community food initiatives aim to address these obstacles. Essentially, they promote good health by making it easier for people to make healthy food choices,” she added.
She listed reasons why certain communities experience high levels of food poverty and said these included lack of suitable cooking and storage equipment and there may be no local shops selling affordable food.
“Transport to shops may be inadequate, or people may lack the relevant knowledge and skills,” said Ms Moonen.
“Food poverty is a growing problem, and we believe it will only be solved through a combination of government policy changes and bottom-up approaches to food provision and consumption.”
A Good Practice Guide for Community FoodInitiatives gives examples of community initiatives including food co-operatives; community cafes, food-growing projects; breakfast and after-school clubs and community-based training courses in nutrition and healthy eating.
“Community food initiatives can combat food poverty by making good quality, affordable food more accessible to local communities,” said Ms Moonen.
They can also address gaps in dietary knowledge and skills, she said. She said some community food initiatives assist residents to grow their own fruit and vegetables and others train parents to prepare healthy meals on a low budget. The guide is available at www.healthyfoodforall.com