Terms of Reference

Rationale

Food poverty is the inability to afford, or to have access to, food to make up a healthy diet. It is about the quality of food as well as quantity and affordability. It isnot just about hunger, but also about being appropriately nourished to attain and maintain health and wellbeing.

Good nutrition supports both mental and physical health and there is evidence which links nutrition to educational attainment in children.

The challenge of reducing and mitigating the negative and harmful effects of foodpoverty can only be achieved through cooperative, coordination and delivering together. This involves working along the food supply chain from production, processing, preparation and consumption activities. 

Causation

The causes of food poverty are complex and multiple, and include the followingfactors; 

  • financial – low income in relation to household expenses and the price of locally available healthy food 
  • social – relating to cultural norms, skills, social networks, and the impact of marketing of unhealthy foods 
  • physical – relating to access to fresh foods including locally grown, food sold in shops and outlets selling affordable healthy food, to cooking facilities and transport.

Purpose

This document represents the first step in drawing together the combined resources and actions of those organisations and agencies currently committed to providing solutions, and their commitment to maximising their contribution to the challenge of alleviating food poverty.

To bring together Statutory and Non Statutory organisations to strategically address the issues of food poverty and food insecurity locally. To work cooperatively to think global and act locally.

To link actions and activity towards the seven Well Being Goals of the Well Being ofFuture Generations (Wales) Act 2015. 

To build a local evidence base to support food poverty programmes and to identify best practice cases e.g. Food Charters.

Role

To develop, broaden and strengthen the North Wales Food Poverty Alliance and thedevelopment of a clear forward plan.

To provide a coordinated, long-term, sustainable and tailored approach to tacklingfood poverty across the North Wales region.

To support the development of local examples of food poverty programmes.

To develop and share solutions across the region, Wales and the UK. 

Membership