Feasibility study

Executive Summary

There is a need to redress the food poverty situation in Oxford. The sheer number of community food projects in and around the city indicate this is so. Food Banks are an ideal way of aiding community food projects in increasing their outreach footprint and improving their services, by effectively saving them money on food budgets. Preliminary research with community food projects in Oxford has identified that a food bank would indeed be a helpful tool in achieving this.

This study explores the concepts of food banks and how they work. The Community Caterers’ Network (CCN) has been liaising with Fareshare (a national charity who set-up food bank franchises around the country) for many years now, and it was decided to investigate the viability of establishing a Fareshare franchise in Oxford.

However, as the research for the study progressed, it became apparent that the Fareshare model is not as robust as originally ‘sold’ to the CCN. Therefore, the research took an unexpected turn to explore the idea of establishing an independent food bank in Oxford.

The key findings of this study are as follows:

·There is a need to have a food bank in Oxford to help CCN members to save money thereby improving services/provision

·The food bank will need to be of a sufficient size to effectively deliver its service to recipient projects. This will entail a small warehousing space with temperature controlled storage and a refrigerated vehicle

·Depending on whether the food bank is a Fareshare franchise or Independent, the capital costs will be: £24,000 and £43,000 respectively

·The first year’s running costs will be: £46,000 and £47,000 respectively

·After a few years, the costs involved balance out and eventually it becomes more financially viable to be an Independent Food Bank

·It costs a food bank, on average, £600 to redistribute 1 tonne of food

·Being Independent gives far more control and flexibility over the food bank’s operations

·Stability of fresh produce is a problem for all food banks

·Innovative approaches to procuring fresh produce are necessary to meet demand

·Securing funding is a problem for all food banks

·There is a danger of receiving ‘junk’/worthless foods

·It may prove more effective and financially viable if the food bank is part of a larger project (food related)

·Food Banks are very susceptible to changes in technological advances in food processing and government legislation

·Fareshare franchisees cannot sell food or allow the collection of food from the depot

·There are many ethical concerns over Fareshare sponsors, such as Nestlé and Kraft Foods (Philip Morris Tobacco)

·Being a franchise does not provide any real advantages over being independent

Copies of the full report can be obtained from Kate Dunsdon at Oxford City Council kdunsdon@oxford.gov.uk - or contact us direct.