Illustration of a fruit and veg basket against a white background

From Farm to Family: Digital Inclusion for Equitable Access to Local Food (F2FDigital)

Funder

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (UK government)

Value of Project

£216,297.00

Duration

November 2025 - March 2026

Project Team

Dr Lopa Saxena,
Dr Geraldine Brown,
Francisco Martinez (Open Food Network),
Sara Rock (Tamar Grow Local)

This project is led by Coventry University, in collaboration with Open Food Network (OFN) and Tamar Grow Local

Project Overview

This project addresses two intertwined challenges: many small producers lack the digital skills, tools, or confidence to sell online, and many low-income households face digital barriers to accessing affordable, nutritious, locally sourced food. Currently, households eligible for welfare support—through Healthy Start and Best Start Foods prepaid cards—struggle to use these benefits beyond supermarkets.

The project seeks to bridge this divide by combining digital training, device provision, and creating the first technical interface that enables welfare cards and secure digital vouchers to be used on the Open Food Network (OFN UK). In doing so, it aims to expand equitable access to healthy food, channel public funds into local economies, support small producers, and contribute to the national evidence base on digital inclusion linked to local food access.

Project Objectives

(i) Opening up opportunities through skills -- structured digital training programmes for producers, households, and community organisations.
(ii) Breaking down barriers to digital services -- enabling national benefit cards to be accepted on the OFN UK platform.
(iii) Tackling data and device poverty -- providing 50 tablets and connectivity for those without devices.
(iv) Building confidence and supporting local delivery - - practical workshops, mentoring and ongoing community engagement.
(v) To undertake an evaluation of the programme in meeting project aims.

Impact Statement

This project will create significant social, economic, and digital inclusion benefits by transforming how low-income households, small producers, and community organisations access and engage with the local food economy. By integrating digital skills training, device distribution, and the development of the first technical interface that allows welfare cards and secure digital vouchers to be used on the Open Food Network (OFN UK), the project directly tackles structural barriers that currently restrict fair access to healthy food and digital services. For individuals and households experiencing data poverty, low digital confidence, or limited access to online platforms, the project will offer tangible pathways into digital participation through structured training programmes, the distribution of 50 tablets with connectivity, and practical mentoring. These initiatives will decrease digital exclusion, enabling households to confidently utilise online tools that support food access, financial management, and broader public services. By enabling national benefit cards to be accepted on OFN UK, the project pioneers new ways of connecting social welfare infrastructure with community-led food systems. This innovation will open previously inaccessible purchasing options for low-income families, direct public funds into local economies, and enhance the resilience of small-scale producers who depend on fairer routes to market. Through workshops, mentoring, and strong community engagement, the project will build lasting confidence among producers, volunteers, and local organisations to use digital tools to support dignified, community-led food access. The programme evaluation will generate robust evidence on the links between digital inclusion and local food security, contributing to national policy conversations on welfare innovation, community food infrastructure, and equitable digital transformation.

Overall, the project will create a replicable, scalable model that reduces digital inequality, enhances access to healthy food, and strengthens local food economies—delivering benefits across households, communities, and national policy landscapes.