As the cost-of-living crisis continues for many, it is interesting to see just how many are affected thanks to Foodbank Queensland releasing its annual Hunger Report.
From its 2023 Hunger Report alone, it showed that one in five Queensland households continue to experience hunger each year, with the increased cost of food, fuel, and home gas and electricity are the leading causes of Queensland hunger.
Regional Queensland has been hit hardest, with rising food and grocery costs impacting 80 per cent of food-insecure households in regional and remote communities.
For Foodbank Queensland, they are dealing with the fact that rising cost-of-living expenses has led to an increase in the number of Queenslanders seeking essential food relief.
At the same time, they are seeing a decline in food donations as some of their food donors and farmers are dealing with their own financial pressures.
Foodbank Queensland chief executive officer Jess Watkinson said Foodbank Queensland was the state’s largest hunger relief charity, supporting 150,000 Queenslanders each week. “Fresh fruit and vegetables make up 43 per cent of what we provide to our valued member charities, thanks to the contributions of our wonderful farmers,” Jess said.
“We couldn’t support so many Queenslanders without these fresh produce donations.
“Generous Queensland farmers are the largest donors of food to Foodbank Queensland, providing their surplus produce directly to us for distribution.
“Together with these Queensland farmers and our Member Charities, we provided nearly 6,000,000 kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables to thousands of families in need last financial year, all at no cost.”
“We are grateful to the Bundaberg growers who donate their surplus produce to Foodbank Queensland.
“Our team will work with growers to make the process simple, allowing them to reduce their waste bill, and ensure the produce they’ve worked so hard to grow reaches those facing tough times.
For families struggling to put food on the table, having access to this fresh produce means the world.
“Foodbank Queensland would love to partner with more local growers who would like their surplus stock distributed to Queenslanders experiencing hunger.”
Through the Foodbank Queensland Farm to Families Program, Bundaberg growers have continued to show their support for those in need with fresh, delicious produce, meaning the world to someone facing tough times.
For Cross Family Farmers Trevor Cross, they began with Foodbank Queensland almost 12 years, progressing from small amounts up to quite significant volumes 900 to 1300 tonne a year.
“We have been really seeing the results and thanks to Foodbank Queensland really seeing where the food was going to,” he said.
“From our perspective it is a good gesture, because at some stage everyone needs a hand.”
Pritchard Farmers Troy Pritchard stated they began working with Foodbank Queensland roughly 10 years ago when they were approached by one of the directors.
“With Lindsay’s support, it is really easy to donate to Foodbank Queensland they supply the FP4 blue food bins that we put the produce into and it ends up on the truck and goes through to Foodbank for them to distribute to those in need,” he said.
Damien Botha from Greensill Farming said they had been working with Foodbank Queensland for five years now because it allows them to continue that sense of community which they have locally, but also extends that down to Brisbane and South East Queensland to hopefully provide some really, really, good fruit and vegetables to those in need.
“When it comes to sweet potatoes there are many different shapes and sizes, we can have extremely small sweet potatoes that are 200g grams up to really large sweet potatoes that can be as large as up to five or six kilograms and a great opportunity for us to donate to Foodbank Queensland.
“No matter how big or small the sweet potato is, the bonus is that every sweet potato still has the same nutritional value.
“Donating to Foodbank Queensland in all honesty could not be easier both in working with the Foodbank Queensland team directly and also Lindsay to support from a freight perspective.”
