Food Hunger – A Systemic Problem?

One day our fundraisers were handing out free food to the public, as part of our free food bank service. A member of the local council approached one and asked him what he was doing. It was very apparent what he was doing as he was holding a very large handheld sign with the words: ”GIVING OUT FREE FOOD.” Anyway, the fundraiser replied we are just giving out some free food and clothes to anyone who needs it. The council staff member then asked him if he had a license for that. The fundraiser said ”we need a license to help people out?” And then that was it. 

The point of this story is that it is clear that there is a very strong link between food poverty and ethnicity. It can be argued that there are cultural and societal factors that influence people’s and families’ ability to be able to afford good quality food. Moreover, when it comes to tackling the situation and crisis, it would appear that there are obstacles put in place, in an effort to try to control the amount of help that is available, ensuring that the root of this problem is never eliminated. 

The video below paints a very brutal and accurate picture of the problem.