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Research highlights the role of social supermarkets in addressing food insecurity and food waste

Research supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) has shown how social supermarkets (SSMs) are playing an increasingly important role in helping communities access affordable food while reducing surplus food waste.

The findings also highlight that these models cannot address the deeper social and economic factors that drive food insecurity, or the systemic causes of food waste.

What are social supermarkets?

Food insecurity affects people who do not have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food. At the same time, large amounts of edible food is wasted across the food supply chain, particularly by supermarkets and food retailers.

Social supermarkets aim to respond to both challenges by collecting surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and selling it at low cost to communities. They offer customers choice and dignity in a retail‑style environment, and are often viewed as a more positive experience than emergency food aid.

However, there is ongoing debate about whether they offer a long-term solution or simply manage the symptoms of deeper social and economic inequalities.

Researching the role that social supermarkets play

Researchers carried out a review of existing evidence around how social supermarket models operate. They focused specifically on how social supermarkets address both food insecurity and food waste together, rather than treating them as separate issues. They also explored customer experiences and perceptions of dignity, choice, and stigma within these models.

The research found that SSMs were primarily used by low-income and food insecure households. Some customers were not food insecure but chose to shop there to help reduce food waste and support sustainability.

Customers reported more positive experiences compared to food banks, particularly because they could choose their own food, they were treated as customers rather than charity recipients, and shopping felt less stigmatising.

However, the researchers also highlight that despite these benefits, SSMs did not address the wider causes of food insecurity, particularly low income and poverty, income inequality, rising living costs and insecure employment.

They also did not address the systemic overproduction of food that creates surplus across the supply chain.

The work highlights that, to some extent, social supermarkets actually depend on the continuation of wider inequalities and food chain inefficiencies to remain operational.

Moving towards policies that address poverty directly

Lead researcher Dr Claire O’Malley from Teesside University said: “While social supermarkets can improve access to affordable food and reduce waste in the short term, they should not be viewed as a complete solution to food insecurity.

“This work highlights the importance of moving beyond emergency or surplus-based food aid towards policies that address poverty directly. Without action on wages, welfare, housing costs, and fair food systems, food insecurity will continue to grow. Similarly, reducing food waste requires structural changes in how food is produced, supplied, and sold, not simply redistributing surplus after it is created.”

The research team have developed a set of recommendations to begin to address these issues.

Key recommendations

• Social supermarkets should be recognised as a supportive community intervention, not a replacement for poverty reduction policy
• Policymakers should prioritise action on income inequality, adequate wages, welfare support, affordable housing, affordable and fairer food systems
• Food retailers and governments should work to reduce food surplus at source rather than relying on redistribution alone
• Community food support services should continue to prioritise dignity, autonomy, and choice for service users
• Future food policy should balance sustainability goals with social justice and long-term food security

You can read a plain language summary of the research here: Exploring the role of social supermarkets in addressing food insecurity and food waste – ARC

Read the full research paper here: Exploring the Role of Social Supermarkets in Addressing Food Insecurity and Food Waste: A Scoping Review – O’Malley – Nutrition Bulletin – Wiley Online Library

This work was led researchers from Teesside University and Newcastle University, and supported by partners from Middlesbrough Environment City and The Salvation Army.

It was funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria and supported by Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health.