Jacques Vandenschrik, President of the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), was interviewed by CNN on the rise of poverty in Europe and the increased demand for food aid since the start of the pandemic.
FEBA reported a food demand increase of around 30% across its European network of 430 Food Banks – with a range of 6% to 90% in different countries – in comparison to pre-Covid times.
Jacques Vandenschrik explained that although EU nations are often seen as being the gold standard for welfare programs, Food Banks are having to fill in the gaps left by individual governments – including smaller nations previously under authoritarian regimes.
“We do a job that in a communist or socialist country did not exist, because there was no need for a food bank, because the state would provide everything. [Food banks] would like to disappear, they would like a situation where nobody requires food aid, where food insecurity has disappeared. To achieve this, we need to have a fundamental re-look at the whole system – the whole system of producing food, our food feeding habits – and look at the way food is distributed“, said FEBA’s President.
Read the full article here and watch the video interview below!
