New research by Menu for Change shows that food poverty has become deeply ingrained as a feature of Scottish life

DESPITE a vaunted recovery in employment and claims by the Conservative government that the dog days of austerity are behind us, food poverty persists.

In the year from 2017-18 Scots received some half a million emergency food parcels to alleviate the most acute forms of food poverty. There are now 2,000 food banks in regular operation across the UK, when there were almost none less than 20 years ago.

Beyond the Noise with David Jamieson is a weekly podcast with CommonSpace journalist David Jamieson, where he gets behind the 24/7 news cycle and gets to heart of issues, trying to find the substance behind the headlines.

THIS week Jamieson speaks to Mary Anne MacLeod of the Menu for Change project which seeks to tackle food poverty. MacLeod has uncovered new evidence about the extent of food bank use in Scotland, at a time when much of the media has lost interest in the crisis of food poverty.

They discuss:

One in five people and one in four children in Scotland are now living in relative poverty

New data from the Independent Food Aid Network and A Menu For Change reveal that the number of crisis food parcels distributed in Scotland is nearly double prior estimates

If we are to establish a national right to food, what can the history of other countries’ attempts tell us? Sean Bell takes a look.

FOOD defines humanity, and determines life. Hunger cannot be argued with. It is a historical truth and a global reality – and Scotland is no exception.

CommonSpace Forum 28 March: Food, Poverty and Brexit: Should we demand the right to food? 

AS BREXIT grows closer, stories about rising food prices and mass hunger come more sharply into focus, particularly in a 'No Deal' scenario.

Never before has there been so much attention been paid to the fact that Britain imports half of its food, the majority of which comes from the EU, and 95 per cent of those imports via the port of Dover.

Use of foodbanks in Scotland hit all time high last year

Scotland’s social security powers are limited, but experts argue there are actions which could be taken to address food poverty

EXPERTS AND campaigners have pointed to answers within the grasp of the Scottish Government which could help turn the tide on rising poverty figures amid Tory cuts to social security and the roll-out of the widely criticised Universal Credit.

Common Weal head of policy & research Dr Craig Dalzell argues that the surge in foodbank usage is a problem that requires a broad range of policy solutions – one of which is a new approach to food

THE recent reports that foodbank use in Scotland and the UK has risen again and has done so especially in areas where Universal Credit has rolled out is shocking but not altogether surprising; campaigners have been warning about this impact since the early planning stages of Universal Credit.

Foodbank charity calls for inquiry into universal credit administration and an increase in benefits in line with inflation

FOODBANK USE in Scotland has reached a record high and insufficient income from benefits is the leading cause, according to new figures from charity The Trussell Trust.