In recent years we have faced not only a health pandemic, but a crisis in food availability.
Cambridge is home to a wide range of local groups, organisations,not for profits and volunteers dedicated to helping those in need. Some focus on direct support, while others collaborate with businesses, redistribute surplus food, or work with campaigning groups.
Thanks to this collective work, Cambridge was awarded the prestigious Sustainable Food Place Gold Award in 2024, recognising that the work on food justice in the city was nationally important
As we move beyond the immediate challenges of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, we remain committed to finding sustainable ways to support our most vulnerable residents.
Food support across Cambridge
In Cambridge, over 25 organisations form the local food justice alliance, working to tackle food insecurity. The city is served by:
- food banks run by Cambridge City Food Bank
- Fairbite Social Supermarkets
- independent social supermarket
- independent food bank
- other social food projects such as a seniors lunch held at Cambridge United, Foodcycle - community meals from surplus, cookery workshops, Community Cafe at The Edge
These efforts are supported by countless volunteers who dedicate their time to helping those in need. Find out what's open across the city on the Cambridge Sustainable Food website.
Our role
Cambridge City Council plays a key role in supporting these initiatives through it's community grants and work by officers:
- facilitating the distribution of surplus food to social food projects through the Cambridge Sustainable Food distribution centre
- funds and hosts at City Council run community centres the Holiday Lunch Programme to provide meals during school holidays
- supports and is a member of the Food Justice Network, coordinated by Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC, which brings together organisations to collaborate and address food poverty
Together we’re working towards a fairer, more sustainable food system for everyone in Cambridge.
In 2023-24, we made 25,029 visits to community food hubs and held 36 holiday lunch events, providing 1,935 meals across Cambridge. We were also able to deliver 852 Christmas hampers, supporting 3,007 people across the city over the festive period.
2025 conference
The 2025 Food Justice Conference will take place on Wednesday 26 February from 9.30am to 4pm at Meadows Community Centre.
Join us at Community Food Power: A New Approach to Food Security, a conference organised by the Food Justice Alliance, where we’ll explore how food can drive real change in tackling poverty and building stronger communities and together build on five years of collaborative efforts.
Food insecurity isn’t just about money—it impacts emotional wellbeing, nutrition, and the sense of belonging in a community.
We’ll be hearing about the Food Ladders approach developed by Dr. Megan Blake, University of Sheffield and considering whether this approach offers a new and fresh framework for the work in Cambridge on Food Justice.
The Food Ladders approach uses food to build resilience by creating connections and empowering communities. Unlike traditional approaches that only focus on emergency food aid, Food Ladders works through three steps: supporting those in crisis, building community capacity to access and share food, and encouraging self-organised projects that drive lasting change.
Tickets for the conference are available to purchase on Eventbrite.
2023 conference
The 2023 Food Justice Conference took place on Wednesday 4 October 2023 at the Meadows Community Centre. It focused on health inequalities and access to food.
Food insecurity in Cambridge
Food insecurity is affecting lives and health more than ever before. Our short film, which we made with Cambridge Sustainable Food, explores the subject. It tells the story of some affected people and the organisations that are working hard to help them.
