JAFSCD article by Gemma Bridge (U of Leeds), Effie Papargyropoulou (U of Leeds), Sonja Woodcock (FoodWise, Zest), Emma Strachan (Leeds City Council), Joanna Rowlands (Leeds City Council), and Elizabeth Boniface (Leeds City Council)
Food hubs such as food banks, social supermarkets, and community cafés play a crucial role in bringing local food producers and consumers together, improving food security, and supporting community development. To help food hubs in the UK keep doing their important work, the Impact Evaluation Toolkit for Food Hubs was created with input from these community food initiatives. This toolkit helps them measure their social, economic, and environmental impacts. It also identifies areas where they can improve and become more sustainable.
In a new JAFSCD article, Co-designing an impact evaluation tool for food hubs in the UK, authors Gemma Bridge, Effie Papargyropoulou, Sonja Woodcock, Emma Strachan, Joanna Rowlands, and Elizabeth Boniface introduce this innovative toolkit. It not only helps food hubs assess their overall impact but also provides evidence for their communications and funding applications.
KEY FINDINGS
The toolkit provides a structured approach for food hubs to monitor and assess their social, economic, and environmental impacts.
The resource helps food hubs identify strengths and areas for improvement, helping them to become more sustainable.
Data collected support evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE
Implement the toolkit to measure impact consistently across food hubs.
Findings from using the toolkit can be used to advocate for policy changes supporting food hubs and the communities in which they are located.
Encourage further research on the toolkit’s application and outcomes.
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Discover how the new “Food Hub Impact Evaluation Toolkit” empowers food hubs — such as food banks, social supermarkets, and community gardens — to measure and enhance their impact within their local communities. #FoodHubs #LocalFood #CommunityDevelopment #UniversityofLeeds Read the full study in @JAFSCD for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.142.004
Photo above: Cover of the Impact Evaluation Toolkit for Food Hubs, provided by the authors.
