Voedselbanken Nederland is pleased that the government is taking seriously the concerns of the Food Banks about the expected increasing number of beneficiaries due to the economic crisis and the looming food shortages. The government also sees these developments as a social problem that must be solved.
In a letter to the Chamber of Deputies, the cabinet of the government indicated that it is prepared to use the four million euros already made available for corona as a safety net, if at any time insufficient food is available for Food Banks’ beneficiaries. The office is also prepared to apply for the minimum 2% of the ESF+ resources available for the Netherlands and to make it available for the most deprived. This corresponds to a total amount of eight million euros for the entire period 2021-2027. In addition, the office will work with the Food Banks, municipalities, food producers, suppliers and distributors to see how the existing food supply to Voedselbanken Nederland can be maintained.
In periodic consultation with the office, we will jointly check whether the safety net and the measures are adequate and effective enough in practice. The constructive discussions we have had with the Ministry of Social Affaires and Employment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality give us the confidence that we will be able to properly implement the stated objectives in the coming period.
Original article here.
