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Dignity in community food support

A new resource has launched to champion dignity in community food support. The Alliance for Dignified Food Support is a coalition of community food organisers, local food partnerships, academics, and activists committed to integrating dignity into food support provision.

Research shows that people who use food support may experience trauma. Projects such as food banks or pantries should counter that loss of dignity. Credit: Cytonn Photography Pexels

Research shows that people who use food support may experience trauma. Projects such as food banks or pantries should counter that loss of dignity. Credit: Cytonn Photography Pexels

The aims of this new inititaive are to raise awareness of the ethical contradictions of community food support, and to support community food support projects to embed dignity within their provision.

Founding members of the alliance, including Sustain, Sussex Community Development Association, Feeding Britain and Sustainable Food Places, held a series of national workshops and discussions over the last year and developed four core Principles of Dignified Food Support:

  • Welcoming
  • Transparent
  • Person-centred
  • Empowering

Each of these principles is illustrated by a range of practical and evidence based recommendations for how these might be implemented. Along with partners the Alliance also developed a dignity charter in consultation with users of community food support.

The Alliance For Dignified Food Support is now working on a Dignity Toolkit to support community food organisations to audit their own practice, develop an action plan to further embed dignity, and to reflect on any changes and their impact.

Visit the Alliance for Dignified Food Support website

Sign up to get notified when Dignity Toolkit goes live

Published Thursday 6 June 2024

Food Poverty: Millions of people in the UK struggle to get enough to eat. We’re working to change that through people-powered projects and campaigns that tackle the root causes of food poverty and ensure everyone has dignified access to healthy, affordable food.

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