We’ve got a real challenge on our hands squaring the downsizing across many businesses with food insecurity – you need to be in good work to be able to feed your family. How do we balance long term sustainability with the current economic reality? 

This is a real challenge. The most effective responses balance short-term support with efforts to strengthen long-term financial resilience. Businesses can: protect good work wherever possible, support employees through transitions, and collaborate locally to tackle food insecurity. Maintaining responsible business commitments during tough periods helps preserve trust and stability.

We also need to help communities build their own resilience to food insecurity. Through the Future Proofing Communities programme, we’re supporting people to grow and cook food. For example, in Teesside we are supporting primary school pupils to set up and run social supermarkets; growing produce to sell; offering small amounts of affordable store‑cupboard staples; and providing cookery lessons for parents. Together, this helps families access food with dignity and gain the skills and confidence to feed themselves—both individually and as a community.