Capital food bank reveals that demand is soaring - in the city and across Scotland
The Edinburgh Food Project (EFP) has highlighted the devastating impact of the cost of living crisis is continuing to have on families, children, disabled people and vulnerable individuals across the city.
It says demand for its services are soaring – matching a nationwide increase in people needing emergency food provision.
EFP said that demand for its food parcels has skyrocketed, revealing that 21,350 parcels distributed by Edinburgh Food Project's seven food banks – an eight per cent increase from the previous year and almost double the amount given out in the previous year.
Incredibly, this equates to one parcel for every 25 people living in Edinburgh.
This comes as the Trussell Trust released its annual statistics, revealing a significant increase in emergency food parcels distributed throughout the country, with 262,400 food parcels delivered in the past year.
The Trussell Trust figures show that children bear the brunt on the cost of living crisis – which rages like never before, despite talk of an economic uptick.
A quarter of a million children in Scotland are currently living in poverty, 60% of Trussell Trust parcels in Scotland went to families with children and 10% of parcels assisted children under the age of four, despite this age group representing only five per cent of the population.
In Edinburgh, approximatelyone in every three food parcels goes to a child.
Vulnerable people are disproportionately affected, with one in five parcels in Scotland going to someone facing food insecurity due to health issues, while three out of four people referred to food banks in Scotland are disabled.
Meanwhile as demand increases, so do pressures on food banks.
The need for help from food banks in Edinburgh has surged by 36% since the start of 2024, while food donations through supermarkets have dropped by 21% in the same period.
With people having less to give and businesses tightening their belts, food bank shelves are emptying faster than they can be restocked, and reserves are dwindling.
Bethany Biggar, director of Edinburgh Food Project, said: “The cost of living crisis is pushing an alarming number of people in Edinburgh and across Scotland to the brink.
“These figures paint a stark picture – families struggling to feed their children, disabled people facing impossible choices, and food banks like ours stretched to their limits. We urgently need support to help us weather this storm.”
Edinburgh Food Project is urging the Scottish Government to heed the call from the Trussell Trust to increase the level of Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week.
Additionally, it is calling for increased donations of food and financial contributions from the public and businesses to help them continue its critical work.
