Food banks in need: More and more people in need, but not enough food!

Food banks in need: More and more people in need, but not enough food!

The situation at the food banks in Baden-Württemberg is extremely tense at the turn of the year. According to reports from sueddeutsche.de One in four of the 147 food banks in the southwest has already imposed a ban on accepting new customers. The massive increase in needy people caused by the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices has meant that there is not enough food to supply everyone in need of support. Udo Engelhardt, a board member of Tafel Baden-Württemberg, describes the current situation as untenable, while emphasizing that contact points for those seeking help are indispensable.

Urgent need for food donations

The current poverty rate in Baden-Württemberg is a shocking 14 percent, and more than 1.5 million people are affected by poverty. As a result, food banks are required to maximize their food donations. Engelhardt points out that the food banks are largely dependent on surplus food from retailers and gratefully accept private donations boell-bw.de reported. The challenge is that despite this emergency aid, many food banks are not sufficiently supplied to meet the increased needs.

Strengthening the food banks as a social-ecological movement is essential. Every year, the Tafel saves over 260,000 tons of food from the trash can and distributes it to around 2 million people. However, it is clear that the pressure on the food banks is growing, as more and more people have to go to the food banks because they can no longer afford the rising cost of living. Engelhardt emphasizes that a sustainable solution is only possible in cooperation with politicians in order to effectively combat the causes of poverty and improve the living conditions of those affected.