FOOD poverty ­experts will gather to tackle the increasing reliance on handouts sweeping the city.

As part of Challenge Poverty week, the Poverty Alliance and a host of other city organisations will come together at the Nourish conference to discuss the city's food insecurity.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, blamed low wages and sanctions for pushing more people below the breadline, while the Trussell Trust have predicted the increasing reliance is not likely to change soon.

Ewan Gurr, Scotland network manager for the Trussell Trust, said: "Since April 2014, we have provided a three day supply of emergency food to 7692 men, women and children across our food banks in Glasgow.

"Between April and October last year the number was only 3102.

"Although we must take into consideration one of the food banks now operating was not at this point last year this still indicates a concerning upward trajectory which has no likelihood of changing in the coming weeks and months."

Nourish, an organisation aimed at reshaping the way food works in Scotland, claims only 27% of residents in Glasgow have ­access to a garden and in some areas there is nine-year waiting list for allotments.

To tackle the problem, Glasgow City Council is planning to create a sustainable food city by setting up a food policy council to help improve access to food for the poorest families.

The plans also aim to help reduce the environmental impacts of food ­production, by supporting local methods of generating food.

Pete Ritchie, director of Nourish Scotland, said: "We can start here and now by making sure we feed people well in Scotland without destroying the planet or harming people on the ­other side of the world."

Meanwhile, a city ­food bank has seen a surge in ­offers of help in the wake of the referendum.

The organisers of the city's North West Food bank, run by the Trussell Trust charity, say they have had more than 30 volunteer requests since the vote took place on September 18.

Co-ordinator Kyle McCormick, who runs the food bank alongside his partner Gill, said they had also received more food donations than usual in the past three weeks.

He put the rise in offers of help down to a renewed interest in campaigning following the political event that gripped the country and the rest of the world.

Kyle, who is backing the Evening Times Food for Thought campaign, said: "Nothing has changed since the referendum ­happened - people are still living in poverty and struggling to eat.

"But we really have not­iced how much people want to get involved now."

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk