Advocacy

At Foodbank, we’re serious about giving a voice to food insecure Australians, advocating at local, state/territory, national and global
levels.

We have excellent working relationships with a range of peak bodies, from the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Food and Grocery Council to the Australian Council of Social Service, to ensure our research and expert commentary and advice can be woven into policy debates, conferences, media commentary and activities on the ground.

To inquire about securing a Foodbank spokesperson for your next event, please email admin@foodbank.org.au.

Government Relations

We work with all levels of government to ensure the policy and legislative environment does not hinder our ability to get essential food relief to the communities who need it most – regardless of geography.

We work closely with federal senators, members of parliament and government departments, as well as state/territory governments, to ensure the issue of food insecurity in Australia is front of mind and understood.

The annual release of the Foodbank Hunger Report provides an ideal opportunity for us to engage in advocacy at both the Federal and State/Territory level, providing expert commentary on the prevalence of food insecurity, the key demographics affected, the root causes, and how well the demand for food relief is being met. We also regularly host our political leaders at our warehouses, showing them first-hand the scale of our operations and the growing need for food relief.

Given the complexity of the causes of, and solutions to food insecurity in Australia, we have been advocating for the development of a National Food Security Strategy, led by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. This strategy would see a whole of government approach, ideally with bi-partisan support – to what has become a systemic problem in Australia. More information on Foodbank Funding and Policy Priorities.

Each year, Foodbank Australia lodges a pre-budget submission to highlight the funding needs of the food relief sector.

More information on food insecurity in Foodbank’s National Food Security Strategy Case