Is food aid the way of the future? What are the prospects for integrated public policies informed by the right to food? First World Hunger Revisited investigates the rise of food charity and corporately sponsored food banks as effective and sustainable responses to increasing hunger and food poverty in twelve rich 'food-secure' societies.

Is food aid the way of the future? What are the prospects for integrated public policies informed by the right to food? First World Hunger Revisited investigates the rise of food charity and corporately sponsored food banks as effective and sustainable responses to increasing hunger and food poverty in twelve rich 'food-secure' societies.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of different dimensions of contemporary food charity. It does so against the background of an increasing number of food banks and other forms of food philanthropy. The book examines the incongruity of considering food donation as an expression of 'pure altruism'. Taking into account the dignity and rights of people, it addresses how hunger is seen and explained in rich countries and how philanthropy and democracy coexist. It looks at the relationship that exists between religious traditions and the current food donation narrative. It discusses the risks of stigmatizing food recipients, and clarifies ways to better deal with food poverty and food waste. Paradoxically, food insecurity and food waste have grown exponentially in the last decade. More and more people are not able to access food properly. The amount of perfectly edible food that is discarded also grows. The consolidation of democracies, welfare policies, and economic growth do not guarantee that all citizens can meet their basic needs in the so-called rich countries. This book analyses the current state of affairs and presents facts and reflections from diverse sources and from a cross-disciplinary perspective.

Drawing on empirical research with the UK's two largest charitable food organisations, this book explores the prolific rise of food charity over the last 15 years and its implications for overcoming food insecurity. As the welfare state withdraws, leaving food banks to protect the most vulnerable, the author questions the sustainability of this system and asks where responsibility lies - in practice and in theory - for ensuring everyone can realise their human right to food. The book argues that effective, policy-driven solutions require a clear rights-based framework, which enables a range of actors including the state, charities and the food industry to work together towards, and be held accountable for, the progressive realisation of the right to food for all in the UK.

As the demand for food banks and other emergency food charities continues to rise across the continent, this is the first systematic Europe-wide study of the roots and consequences of this urgent phenomenon. Leading researchers provide case studies from the UK, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain, each considering the history and driving political and social forces behind the rise of food charity, and the influence of changing welfare states. They build into a rich comparative study that delivers valuable evidence for anyone with an academic or professional interest in related issues including social policy, exclusion, poverty and justice.

Exploring why food aid exists and the deeper causes of food poverty, this book addresses neglected dimensions of traditional food aid and food poverty debates. It argues that the food aid industry is infused with neoliberal governmentality and shows how food charity upholds Christian ideals and white privilege, maintaining inequalities of class, race, religion and gender. However, it also reveals a sector that is immensely varied, embodying both individualism and mutual aid. Drawing upon lived experiences, it documents how food sharing amid poverty fosters solidarity and gives rise to alternative modes of food redistribution among communities. By harnessing these alternative ways of being, food aid and communities can be part of movements for economic and racial justice.