Scottish food bank taskforce holds first meeting

A group looking at ways of reducing dependence on food banks has held its first meeting.

Charities have said they will discuss how to tackle the issues surrounding food poverty in Scotland.

Chairman Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council, said he hoped to help bring about "a hunger free Scotland".

The group has been asked to make recommendations to the Scottish government by February next year.

The latest figures from the Trussell Trust showed that 117,689 people in Scotland picked up a three-day supply of groceries in 2014/2015, more than eight times the number of users compared with two years ago.

Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said he hoped the group would create a strategy that would reduce the need for food bank usage over time.

He said: "It is heart breaking that anyone should be left hungry and unable to afford to feed their families in a country as prosperous as Scotland.

"UK government welfare cuts and benefit sanctions have continually pushed more and more people into food poverty and increased the demand and number of food banks in Scotland.

"This shocking trend has to stop."

The group's recommendations will be used in the Scottish government's Social Justice Action Plan, which aims to help tackle poverty and create fairer opportunities.

The meeting coincides with the Poverty Alliance's annual Challenge Poverty Week which runs from 17 to 23 October with the aim of increasing public support to challenge negative stereotypes.

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: "The growth of food banks in recent years is the surest sign that we need to do more to tackle poverty in Scotland.

"We need to find longer term solutions to food poverty. So we welcome the Scottish government convening this new group to find lasting solutions to the problem."

The Scottish government currently invests £1m in the Emergency Food Action Plan which supports 26 local food aid projects as well as the charity Fareshare, which redistributes excess food from retailers to communities across the country.

Mr Martin, who will chair the group, said its starting point was to reverse the trend of growing hunger in Scotland.

He said: "The group will bring together people with a wide variety of experiences of tackling food poverty including, critically, those with direct experience of what it means to not have enough for you and your family.

"I hope that together we can highlight what is working, what needs to change and what the Scottish government and others can do to bring about a hunger free Scotland."