Proposed by Cllr Simmons, seconded by Cllr Wolff

Green member motion

The Council resolves to request that the Head of Community Services bring a report to Cabinet with proposals for commissioning a Food Strategy to address the causes of food inequality in Oxford that have been highlighted by the current pandemic (including the scandal surrounding free school meals during lockdown) and takes into account the emerging National Food Strategy (Part 1 report and recommendations released July 2020).

As part of this work, the Cabinet is requested to recognise:

·       That the Council has undertaken considerable work to address inequality

·       That the Council is signatory to the Oxford Good Food Charter

·       The excellent work already being done by the voluntary sector within the City

·       That this work has needed to expand in response to the increased need during the COVID-19 pandemic

In preparing the Food Strategy, the Council should focus on those with the greatest need and seek to address issues including sustainability and public health.

Cllr Simmons, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note. He confirmed that he and the original seconder (Cllr Wolff) accepted the amendment proposed by Cllr Tidball and Cllr Hayes as set out in the briefing note.

Cllr Tidball then seconded the amended motion.

After debate and on being put to the vote the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council recognises the commitment made to ensuring nobody in Oxford went hungry. Knowing that the pandemic would exacerbate inequalities, this Council established five Locality Response Hubs, a food depot at Rose Hill Community Centre, and, with partners the Oxford Hub, Oxford Together.

Council further recognises that this Council:

• Gave over 11,000 emergency food parcels to communities between March and August 2020; working with communities and Oxford Brookes University, these food parcels were nutritious and culturally appropriate.
• Worked to strengthen relationships with SOFEA and a network of charities and community partners, such as Oxford Mutual Aid, Oxford Community Action, Good Food Oxford, the Oxford Mosques and Syrcox, to support Oxford’s food system.
• Secured food pipelines, along with access to Community Larders and low-cost food for those who needed it, and £145k of grant funding to support organisations to sustain this system when the Council transitioned from food parcel delivery. Took care to call all those in receipt of a food parcel and worked with them to access food vouchers and the network of food banks and larders.
• Committed to providing Free School Meal vouchers when the Government refused to provide Free School Meals during October half-term, and continued to work with partners to help people access food through the Winter Support Grants.

More can be done. Supermarkets have significant food waste. Tackling food poverty and reducing waste to deliver a net Zero Carbon City go hand in hand.

This Council backs concerted and coordinated action to address food poverty and resolves to continue to work with partners, as we have throughout the pandemic, to develop a county-wide strategy that addresses the causes of food poverty as part of our wider anti-poverty work.  This should include the following:

·       The Head of Community Services bringing a report to Cabinet with proposals for commissioning a Food Strategy to address the causes of food inequality in Oxford, exacerbated by the pandemic taking into account:

·       Bringing together the views and knowledge of our food network partners to better understand the current root causes of food poverty, and a shared action plan to implement meaningful solutions.

·       Tackling child food poverty by campaigning to address holiday hunger, increasing take up of free school meals and access to food larders for families with children.

·       Continuing to use relationships with supermarkets to divert surplus food to those in need and minimise waste to help eliminate Oxford’s contribution to climate change by 2040 or sooner, in line with the Zero Carbon Oxford Charter and recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change.