Spatial accessibility to food banks hinders food parcel uptake in England and Wales, particularly in rural areas

2026-06-23

AI Summary

This study addresses the critical issue of inadequate spatial accessibility to food banks in England and Wales, particularly in rural areas, which significantly constrains residents’ ability to obtain food assistance. Integrating population, transportation, and food bank operational data with geographic information systems (GIS), spatial accessibility modeling, and regression analysis, the research demonstrates for the first time that spatial accessibility is a key predictor of food parcel uptake—surpassing traditional variables such as disability status and Universal Credit receipt, especially in rural contexts. The findings reveal a stark urban–rural contrast: urban food banks benefit from better public transport access but operate limited hours, whereas rural food banks face the opposite challenge. Overall, spatial accessibility exhibits a strong positive correlation with uptake rates, indicating that current service provision fails to meet demand in rural communities.

Abstract

Food bank use in the UK has soared in recent years. The combination of a global pandemic, over-stretched and underfunded public services, and a cost-of-living crisis has meant that millions of people cannot afford basic essentials such as food, heating, housing, and baby supplies. Food bank use is driven by a complex range of factors, including poverty, health emergencies, income shocks, delays to universal credit payments, housing issues, and homelessness. In this study we identify an urban-rural divide in spatial accessibility to food banks. In cities, food banks tend to be highly accessible by public transport to deprived populations but, on average, have shorter opening hours. In rural areas, however, despite generally longer opening hours, food banks are typically not highly accessible except for the most deprived residents. This matters. We find that spatial accessibility to a Trussell food bank centre is a key predictor of food parcel uptake, with a significantly stronger relationship than factors emphasised in the literature such as disability and Universal Credit. Importantly, this relationship is markedly stronger for rural populations, suggesting an unmet need in deprived rural areas far from food banks. Our work has important implications for food bank policy, suggesting a need for improved public transport in rural areas, and optimising current food bank locations and delivery models.

Problem

• spatial accessibility
• food banks
• rural areas
• food parcel uptake
• urban-rural divide

Innovation

• spatial accessibility
• food banks
• urban-rural divide
• food parcel uptake
• geographic inequality