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“Too big to fail”: the resilience and entrenchment of food aid through food banks in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Paulien Dekkinga

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Hilje Horst

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Thirza Andriessen

    (Wageningen University & Research)

Abstract

This paper aims to better understand the resilience and further entrenchment of food aid through food banks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first months of the pandemic in the Netherlands, concerns quickly rose about the number of people falling into conditions of food insecurity. Adding insult to injury, food banks reported problems in their operations. The analysis shows that after some adaptations to initial problems, food banks were largely able to continue their service. This ability was partly based on organizational flexibility. However, in order to understand the resilience of food aid through food banks, it is imperative to understand food banks as part of a system of food aid that extends beyond the organizational boundaries. This system includes a range of other actors and resources, including donors, public support and governmental backing that contributed to the resilience of the food aid system. While this embeddedness in a system as well as broad public support were essential for the resilience of food aid through food banks, both factors also indicate the further entrenchment of food banks in the understanding and practices of ensuring food security for people in poverty. Ultimately, when the root causes of a need for food aid are not addressed, a resilient system of food aid through food banks can eventually prove detrimental to societal resilience, specifically the ability to ensure dignified access to adequate food.

Suggested Citation

  • Paulien Dekkinga & Hilje Horst & Thirza Andriessen, 2022. "“Too big to fail”: the resilience and entrenchment of food aid through food banks in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(3), pages 781-789, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:14:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-022-01260-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01260-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel N. Warshawsky, 2023. "Food insecurity and the covid pandemic: uneven impacts for food bank systems in Europe," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 725-743, June.
    2. Alexandria J. Drake & Lora A. Phillips & Brajesh Karna & Shakthi Bharathi Murugesan & Lily K. Villa & Nathan A. Smith, 2023. "Food insecurity and disasters: predicting disparities in total and first-time food pantry visits during the COVID-19 pandemic," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 493-504, April.

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