Too much and too little? Debates on surplus food redistribution

Recommendations
The key question to be answered is whether surplus food redistribution should be
judged as a political or practical issue. Politically, we have argued that food
redistribution is not an effective way to resolve problems associated with poverty <strong>and</strong>
food, nor with excess food production, <strong>and</strong> as such we would not recommend such
initiatives as long-term solutions to food poverty. However, these initiatives are already
established <strong>and</strong> used by members of the public <strong>and</strong> any suggestion that they might
be removed will be seen as, <strong>and</strong> experienced, as a retrograde step. Our
recommendations are therefore as follows:
l There should be a wider debate on the long-term implications of surplus food
redistribution <strong>and</strong> how it relates to welfare provision <strong>and</strong> to longer-term structural
responses to food poverty. This debate should be aired throughout the redistribution
chain, from those eating the food to those donating it.
l Government should undertake to maintain social security provision, by adopting
minimum income st<strong>and</strong>ards that take into account the amount of money required to
purchase a healthy diet, <strong>and</strong> not allow this to be substituted for by surplus food
redistribution.
l The question of why surplus food exists in the first place needs to be placed under
greater public scrutiny <strong>and</strong> policies to reduce waste need to be implemented.
l Those involved in surplus food redistribution schemes should play a role in
advocating longer-term solutions to food poverty <strong>and</strong> homelessness as well as
distributing surplus food. The donors should not have any influence over the
campaigning views the recipients may choose to take.
l The relationship between surplus food redistribution <strong>and</strong> community food initiatives
needs to be explored further with the people involved.
l Policies should be developed to ensure that the work of community food projects
is not undermined by the development of organisations distributing surplus food.
l There should be a more thorough assessment of the costs, effectiveness <strong>and</strong>
efficiency of surplus food redistribution schemes, including the Intervention Board
scheme, <strong>and</strong> the impact they have on local agencies.
l Further research is needed at all levels to aid the above recommendations, including
a closer examination of the situation in the rest of Europe.
l There should be improved liaison on these issues at national, European <strong>and</strong>
international level between <strong>and</strong> within the voluntary sector, government <strong>and</strong> the private
sector.
ix Published by Sustain: The alliance for better food <strong>and</strong> farming - 2000
ix