FOOD security organisations are petitioning to the federal government for tax changes and incentivisation for primary producers, so there is less red tape to donate food to charities.
As mounting cost-of-living pressures continue to stack up for people, Foodbank Australia SA/NT chief executive officer Greg Pattinson said those who had never accessed food support services, were relying on charities to eat and feed their families.
Mr Pattinson said multiple submissions had been delivered to the federal government to push for an initiative to encourage farmers to grow more food and receive a financial benefit for doing so.
"It will ensure surplus food from primary producers would find its way to charities across Australia, and farmers could also benefit," he said.
"We have the capacity to take the surplus food and provide many people with better food security."
According to Mr Pattinson, regional areas are 33 per cent more likely to experience food insecurity when compared to their metro counterparts.
"In the city areas, there are countless support services and many parts of regional and remote SA, have nothing," he said.
Foodbank's Mobile Food Van visits Peterborough each fortnight, as residents have no other food support services in the area.
"We are working with Coober Pedy Land Council, Oodnadatta, Streaky Bay and Port Lincoln to secure food services for vulnerable people. Port Lincoln have requested us to provide a permanent site," Mr Pattinson said.
Mr Pattinson had a fear food insecurity for regional South Australians could become a long-term issue.
"It is not getting any better in the short term. One of the biggest challenges going forward is how to get food support to regional and remote SA," he said.
"At this point, food security organisations are providing a service the government cannot."
Foodbank and other charities are also pitching for the government to provide tax incentives for freight companies.
"Transport and logistics is a key issue. We do not want bananas going rotten in Qld, we would rather have the food in SA but it is too expensive to freight," Mr Pattinson said.
Oz Harvest food rescue coordinator Rachel Hibble said the organisation delivered surplus food to 117 agencies - mostly in the metro areas.
"We do not have a high presence in regional areas but this is not through a lack of wanting to, it is capacity," she said.
But, Victor Habor's regional chapter for Oz Harvest has rescued 80,000 kilograms of food which would have otherwise gone to landfill.
"That would make a big difference to that region," Ms Hibble said.
About 46 per cent of national food charities are not meeting demand and according to Ms Hibble, it was up 21pc from the year before.
"About 31pc of clients are new and seeking food relief," she said.
But funding surrounding infrastructure to assist with surplus food rescue and provide it to regional agencies, was a challenge.
"We need to be able to fund trucks and other infrastructure to make an impact in those areas," she said.
"We had a short-lived funding splurge during COVID which allowed local agencies to bag up surplus food from regional supermarkets and help provide regional areas with food relief. It was very difficult when this was unable to continue.
"These people need food relief as much as the rest of the country."
Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
