Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
This study draws from data collected in two areas: a borough in north London and a county in west Wales. Interviews and participant observation were carried out in food banks, a soup kitchen, community cafes and centres, and a Citizen’s Advice Bureau for a five year period between 2014 and 2019. The researcher spoke to clients, trustees, volunteers, employees and made use of each organisation‘s own literature such as Facebook pages, web sites, minutes of meetings, and newsletters. The organisations were placed in their wider economic and political contexts, both local and national, with particular attention paid to changes in policy. Use was also made of other research literature in the area of food poverty by social scientists and others, and I attended conferences and seminars and exchanged ideas and information with others researching the area, of whom there were an increasing number. The topic of food poverty was extensively and variously covered by the media. It was widely assumed that food poverty could be solved by used of surplus (‘waste’) food from the food industry distributed by food banks and other charitable organisations. The findings revealed that the increase in food poverty had been exacerbated by a number of wider factors. One such was national austerity policies, including reductions in state benefits, justified through notions such as the ‘Big Society’ and individual responsibility. Another was the situation in the labour market, with many people only able to find precarious and low-paid work and others, especially in regions like parts of Wales, no work at all.
Main Topics:
Food Poverty in the UK with special reference to North London and South Wales Food aid as charity, with special reference to food banks The perspectives of clients, donors and volunteers in food charities The food industry and the distribution of 'surplus' food to charity Government policies with particular reference to social benefits
Volunteer sample
Purposive selection/case studies
Convenience sample
Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Participant field observation
Face-to-face interview
Field observation
Telephone interview
E-mail interview
