Feeding change: our impact at Foodbank WA

Why focusing on nutrition matters 

Access to safe, affordable and nutritious food is a basic human right. People living in circumstances of disadvantage can experience higher rates of diet-related chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, due to a complex interplay of factors like access to affordable healthy food, living conditions and broader social determinants of health. By prioritising healthier food options being available, we go beyond some forms of hunger relief and undertake an approach that strives to support people’s health and wellbeing, including children’s growth and learning, that promotes dignity and equity in our communities.  

Understanding the challenge

Foodbank WA’s experience highlights a key challenge within the food relief system: reliance on donated food can sometimes make it difficult to consistently provide a nutritious, balanced and reliable supply of food. 

• The nutritional quality of donated food can vary significantly;
• Donations may include items that are not suitable for regular, healthy eating;
• A heavy reliance on donated food can limit the ability to plan for a consistent supply of healthier options;       
• This makes it harder to meet people’s immediate food needs while also supporting long-term health. 

This reinforces the need for a more strategic approach to improving food quality across the organisations’ food relief and nutrition education services. 

What we’ve done

Foodbank WA has continually implemented a range of initiatives to improve the nutritional quality, safety, and consistency of food we provide: 

Smarter food supply

• We have an Optimum Food Supply Model that guides our targeted balance of nutritious foods; 
• Created new food sourcing roles to focus on sourcing the right volumes of food types; 
• Expanded targeted procurement to ensure consistent access to key staples and fresh food;
• Established partnerships to increase supply of lean proteins, fruit and vegetables.

Investing in quality and safety

• Improved infrastructure, including produce sorting equipment and better warehouse systems; 
• Enhanced food safety training for staff and volunteers; 
• Reduced acceptance of food items such as caffeinated and sugary drinks. 

Building a reliable, nutritious core range of food 

• We have developed a Foodbank Pantry Range of consistent, affordable range of staple foods selected based on customer preferences and needs such as pasta, rice, UHT milk, tinned tuna and tinned vegetables; 
• Increased food purchasing investment to support healthier options and dignity of choice; 
• Introduced free fruits and vegetables.

Expanding access to nom! Nutrition Education across our branches 

• We promote our nutrition education and cooking programs – nom! – across our branches;  
• We make nom! recipes available free to clients;  
• We have piloted making nom! recipes in branch and sharing with clients;  
• We have piloted offering free nom! education sessions in our main branch.  

Looking ahead 

We are continuing to strengthen our approach by: 

• Implementing improved systems to track nutritional quality and distribution; 
• Expanding partnerships and procurement to ensure a reliable supply of healthy food; 
• Listening to customers and communities to ensure our food meets diverse needs.  

Advocating for those doing it tough

Advocacy is also an essential part of what we do, and we give a voice to food insecure Western Australians. Hunger often happens behind closed doors, and our advocacy work and when you tell people about what we do, you are being an ambassador and part of our advocacy program.

Researching food insecurity

It’s really vital to understand the issue of food insecurity in WA and Australia. Who is skipping meals or struggling to afford groceries – and how can we best support them? Our regular research and Hunger Reports help us meet community needs and drive change in intentional ways. This important research also guides our advocacy work.

Providing support sustainably

We’re here for the long term and we’re here for the people in need. That’s why we aim to be efficient, effective, and sustainable in all that we do – from using eco-friendly containers in our Community Kitchen, to minimising waste and make sure every bit of food we receive is put to good use rather than contributing to landfill.

Our activities at Foodbank align with five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on addressing poverty, hunger and inequality in a responsible way.