Fairer access to healthy food across Merseyside could cut dependence on welfare and the NHS, campaigners have claimed.
Lucy Antal of Foodrise, a charity piloting a scheme delivering sustainable fruit and vegetables to disadvantaged communities across the region, challenged the assumption that poorer people cannot cook and called for “practical action to try and solve the issue of food access”. She said that the ‘Queen of Greens’ mobile greengrocer delivers fresh produce to parts of Merseyside where it is “is easier to buy a vape than an apple”.
Paul Flannery, Queen of Green’s driver – copyright Rob Battersby / FoodriseHer comments come as a new report argued that small increases in government investment could reap massive rewards for society. Sustain’s ‘Bridging the Gap’ report, published last week, claimed that each £1 extra of consumer spending, if matched with £1 of government spending, would see up to £9 of benefits for the NHS and local economies. Linking local communities with sustainable farming would not only benefit local economies and NHS services, but also the environmental crisis, it said.
Britain is facing into a significant food insecurity crisis. Over 14 million people faced food insecurity this past year, meaning skipping meals or eating less. Liverpool City Region is home to half of England’s ten most deprived food ‘deserts’ – meaning neighbourhoods of 5-15k people with poor access to affordable, and healthy food.
The Queen of Greens project, which is currently being piloted by Foodrise, is combatting this situation on Merseyside. The mobile greengrocer prioritises locally-sourced produce enabling affordable, and healthy produce to reach communities.
Ms Antal said: “There’s often an assumption made that poor people don’t know how to cook. The truth is that they do not have the opportunities. Unless you create opportunities for people to be able to eat well, you’re not going to change anything.”
She added: “That’s where our project Queen of Greens comes in. People are willing to pay for our produce. They are really pleased that we come to their area offering fresh and tasty food.”
The service offers produce in loose quantities and customers can buy what is needed, through money or Alexandra Rose vouchers. This ensures access regardless of income, enabling better health and minimising food waste.
The pilot project launched in 2022, in partnership with LCC, Foodrise, and Sustain. Last year it had nearly 17,000 visitors with 91 of 100 customers highlighting difference in their physical health.
Ms Antal stresses the service is for everybody, highlighting the food system as one of the root aspects of achieving social justice.
A new Liverpool City region initiative was launched last month to tackle food poverty, and create networks of healthy, affordable, and accessible produce. The initiative is still in early stages of survey but will hope to reduce carbon footprint and improve diets.
Sustain’s report found that 31% of children under 5 are living in food insecure households in the UK. Ms Antal stresses the report’s findings, believing public investment is necessary to aid the fight against food injustice.
She said: “Investing in these services is investment in the well-being of citizens. These services are investments in people’s futures. If people are given the opportunity to eat well in their early years you see children can concentrate in school.
“Making sure people have good food is the first building block of your health, your education, and of your brain and body development. This is how you build a future where people are not reliant on the NHS or welfare services.”
The bus runs to 40 locations across Liverpool and Knowsley five days a week, which are below.
