Food poverty: How can we bridge the gap for marginalised communities?

SEEN – a Barnardo’s initiative that aims to create better outcomes for children and young people of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage – has released the Fuelling Food Equity report, highlighting the disproportionate impact of food poverty on marginalised communities.   

It also highlights a need for greater understanding about how food is deeply linked to a person’s identity and heritage.   

The report was created following the Driving Healthy Futures project, which saw Barnardo’s SEEN partner with Enterprise Rent-a-Car in a series of UK roadshows across the UK. They met with children, young people and families to provide practical skills and knowledge around healthy eating, as well as hearing people’s experiences and what barriers they faced to accessing healthy food. 

The roadshows highlighted a number of prominent themes: 

• Food insecurity: A significant number of parents struggled to provide sufficient food for their children due to rising costs.  

• Economic constraints: Financial barriers, such as limited income and high food prices, hinder access to healthy and nutritious diets.  

• Knowledge and skills: A lack of knowledge about healthy cooking and nutrition can further exacerbate food insecurity.  

• Cultural barriers: Many individuals from minoritised ethnic communities face challenges in accessing culturally relevant food, particularly those living in areas with limited specialised grocers.  
   

Dean Walker-McKenzie, National Programmes Manager for Barnardo’s SEEN, said: “Our roadshows made it clear that our current food system* is not ideal for any children, young people and families, but it disproportionately impacts families of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage.  

“For those of us trying to make nutritious food that is also culturally relevant, there is a stark lack of access to ingredients that will help us thrive. We need to take a look at our food system in order to address the inequality and imbalance for marginalised groups by investing more in those who are disproportionately impacted by food poverty.   

“For example, when speaking to people of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage, we were told that they are reliant on local shops and grocers to provide items that meet their cultural needs and, although large supermarkets are diversifying their produce with most having a version of a ‘World Food’ section, prices can be more expensive.” 

Khadijah, aged 11, from Birmingham, is a SEEN ambassador. She said: “Locally, it has become more expensive and even more noticeable during a rise of food costs. My mum buys more frequently local sourced fish such as cod, sea bass, mackerel instead of her traditional Bangladeshi fish because of the price.”  

Kiera, aged 14 from London, is also an ambassador for SEEN. She said: “The food from my heritage reflects me in so many ways. It is part of my everyday life, it reflects my background and upbringing and will be passed down through generations. It’s also a connection to my roots and helps me never forget where I came from.” 

She added: “I am not sure why there aren't that many shops that sell cultural foods. I think it's because it's not that popular and most shops that sell them are expensive. Now that I think about it I don't think that I have been to a restaurant that has any food from my heritage/culture.” 

Participants at the roadshows also said easy access to culturally relevant food was a “postcode lottery”. Those living in large cities found it easier to source ingredients needed to make culturally traditional dishes, whereas those in more rural areas struggled.  

Christine Grover, Systems Change Manager for Barnardo’s SEEN, said: "Many minoritised communities we spoke to preferred to purchase food from local grocers who sometimes sell items at more reasonable prices and sell a larger variety of culturally relevant food.  

“This can have an impact on some families who do not live in multicultural communities in the UK where there is access to grocers selling more affordable and culturally sensitive food.” 

Dean added: “In order to begin to dismantle these barriers, we recommend a community first approach, where people can easily access healthy, culturally relevant ingredients locally.  

“The responsibility is on everyone who makes up our food system, with support of local and national governments, to make changes by working with communities better. This includes food providers making a variety of foods more affordable and available for everyone, asking people for their preferences, working with communities to develop culturally and socially appropriate food strategies.”