Public funding has a ratio of 4.9 when the social benefits of food initiatives are compared with the public contribution required. The ratio shows that support for food initiatives is not only a cost item, but can generate value through food security, health, volunteering, social connection and avoided social costs.
The ratio should be read as an indicative SCBA result, not as an exact accounting return. Its main function is to support policy choices: structural funding, stable locations and professional coordination can unlock substantial social value when initiatives are well embedded in the neighbourhood.