Supplying food to disadvantaged communities in the UK: Insights for the food supply chains

Purpose

Despite the UK being ranked 6th out of 113 countries in 2021 on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s global Food Security Index, there are about 10.2 million British residents living in food deserts, approximately 12% of these in deprived areas. This paper takes a closer look at the food systems in four UK cities (Plymouth, Tower Hamlets, Whitley-Reading and Brighton and Hove) and how food supply chains (FSC) can better supply food to the disadvantaged in these communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The report gathers and analyses under a systematic manner secondary data from academic literature, books, reports, online publications, government reports and local newspapers on the state of the local food systems as they are experienced by the disadvantaged in these communities.

Findings

Findings indicate that, despite the variety and uniqueness of the challenges in the four communities, the role that FSCs play within the current systems and how the principles of supply chain management could help address them are woefully underexplored.

Social and Practical implications

The findings give a better understanding of the food systems in terms of access and affordability inequalities in the UK and provides a strong basis for appropriate practical interventions.

Original/value

The paper presents one of the first studies into the role of supply chain management in food supply to disadvantaged communities in the UK by exploring existent food systems from a supply chain perspective.