A study published on Monday February 27 shows that, in France, more than a third of people received in food banks have been there for less than six months. These figures echo a decline in the purchasing power of populations, following the Covid-19 pandemic and high inflation.
In this context of impoverishment, more and more vulnerable people are turning to food aid. Various studies also show the diversification of beneficiary profiles as new sections of the population have fallen into poverty. On the brink of collapse, food banks are also complaining about the drop in donations in recent months.
► In Europe, 12 million people
According to figures for 2021 from the European Federation of Food Banks, present in 29 countries on the continent, 12 million people have been helped and 900,000 tonnes of food distributed in Europe. These distributions relied on nearly 50,000 charitable organizations spread across European territory.
► In Germany, 50% more than in 2021
In Germany, Tafel, the organization that governs Food Banks, helped 50% more people in 2022 than in 2021, and even more than in 2020.
“We currently support around two million people. This is a record since our birth thirty years ago.said Jochen Brühl, President of the Table. By comparison, just over a million people used a food bank in 2020 in Germany.
“Since 2022, refugees from Ukraine have represented a significant proportion of our customers”, estimated Joche Brühl. He explains the influx of new beneficiaries by the explosion in the cost of living in general and energy more specifically. According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), 76% of beneficiaries of Panel are unemployed.
► In Belgium, a 15% increase in requests
The Belgian Federation of Food Banks (FBBA) sounded the alarm in mid-2022 and launched an appeal for donations. Since January 2022, it has faced a 15% increase in requests for food aid, due to inflation.
► In France, a third of newcomers
In France, recourse to food aid is also becoming more frequent. Nearly 60% of beneficiaries use it once or twice a week, an increase of 6% compared to 2020, indicates a study carried out by the CSA Institute for Food Banks. In addition, more than a third of the people, with varied profiles, received in food aid structures have been there for less than six months.
Food has become the second item of expenditure for the people received, still behind housing but now ahead of water and energy bills.
“Populations with increasingly different profiles now have recourse to food aid”, also observes the study. Over 80% of beneficiaries are unemployed (unemployed, retired, long-term sick or stay-at-home parent). Among the 17% who have a job, 60% are on permanent contracts and 66% work part-time.
A total of 2.4 million people were benefiting from food aid at the end of 2022, i.e. three times more people than ten years ago.
► In the United Kingdom, a third of additional meals
90% of Food Banks saw a surge in demand in Britain during 2022, finds a study of Independent Food Aid Networks published in January 2023. 80% of people seeking food aid in 2022 are new beneficiaries. Food Banks have distributed a third more meals compared to 2021 and more than 50% compared to the pre-Covid-19 pandemic period.
As inflation hits records, new segments of the population are turning to food aid, including pensioners, carers and teachers. The study also notes a record number of families with babies.