Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

This paper presents findings from the first comprehensive comparative study of food charity across Europe published in The Rise of Food Charity in Europe (Policy Press 2020). Drawing on seven case study countries - Finland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and the UK – the book explores changing responses to poverty in the context of shifting social policies across the continent. The research reveals key commonalities of food charity systems in these countries and presents the first comparative typology of European food charity and visualisation of food charity systems. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between food charity, social policies and welfare economies across Europe. The findings reveal that across the cases, there have been spikes in food charity provision at times of economic crisis and state welfare retrenchment. Furthermore, regardless of the historical role of the third sector in the various welfare regimes, since a wave of neoliberal social policy shifts, charities have come to play increasingly important roles in the provision of care in every country studied, whether in place of traditionally state-provided support or support from the family. The research also reveals how important other policy spheres have been in shaping the food charity response. Notably, the role of surplus food redistribution schemes (from EU and nation state level) shapes the nature of the charitable food system. The paper ends with reflections on avenues for further comparative European research on food insecurity, social policy, and food charity.