Food banks warn of the increase in food poverty while donations decrease
The number of people who could not afford a meal with meat or fish every other day has increased for the second year in a row, to 6.4% (one point more than in 2023), according to data provided in the report The State of Poverty 2024, produced by the European Anti-Poverty and Social Exclusion Network in Spain (EAPN-ES). The same study indicates that the proportion of people who find it difficult to make ends meet amounts to 48.5% of the resident population in Spain. Furthermore, there are 9.7 million people living in poverty in Spain, with an income of less than 916 euros per month.
This scenario, which confirms the chronification of poverty in Spain, is not reflected in an increase in donations and surpluses, quite the contrary. In 2023, the 54 food banks serving almost 1.2 million people distributed a total of 138,046 tonnes, 8.99% less than in 2022 due to the drop in contributions. As a result, the total kilos and litres of food they were able to deliver to beneficiaries decreased by 4.75 % to 116 kilograms and litres per person per year.
"The right to adequate food is one of the fundamental principles of human rights. As a society, we are challenged to build a more just and generous society where no one lacks a plate of food on their table. Food is becoming more and more expensive, but Food Banks work tirelessly to provide food to the people around us who find themselves in very precarious situations. Our work is possible thanks to the work of thousands of volunteers and the collaboration of foundations and companies such as the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation and CaixaBank which, with their financial contributions and the funds they raise through the No Household without Food campaign, raise awareness in society and provide a lifeline for all the people we help. I would like to thank in advance the support of all the people who contribute to this campaign", said the president of FESBAL, Pedro Llorca.
"The No Household without Food campaign is particularly important in the current context of great need for basic foodstuffs", said Lluís Fatjó-Vilas, president of the Barcelona Food Bank and representative of the Catalan Food Banks. He added: "It allows us to continue helping families in vulnerable situations, in a situation aggravated by rising food prices".
Fifth edition of the campaign "No home without food"
For all these reasons, the food banks are tackling the fifth edition of the "la Caixa" Foundation and CaixaBank's No Household without Food solidarity campaign in the hope of boosting collective action and being able to respond to the chronification of poverty in Spain. This is the second most important annual initiative at national level through which food banks can provide resources to help people in vulnerable situations. This year's edition starts with a contribution of one million euros from the "la Caixa" Foundation, as has been the case in previous campaigns.
Donations can be made through Bizum by sending a contribution to cause 38014. Donations can also be made through the CaixaBank ATM network, through the CaixaBankNow digital banking platform and through the www.caixabank.es portal for donors who are not customers of the bank. The proceeds will be distributed to all Spanish provinces through the 54 food banks associated with FESBAL.
In the four previous editions carried out between 2020 and 2023, this initiative raised more than 9.3 million euros in the country as a whole, and reached 9,600 tonnes of basic foodstuffs. In Catalonia, the fourth edition of the No Household Without Food campaign raised a total of 265,284 euros, of which 182,969 euros went to the Barcelona Food Bank. In this new edition of the solidarity campaign, both FESBAL and the "la Caixa" Foundation and CaixaBank are once again calling on companies and Spanish society to continue to show their solidarity.
"The chronification of poverty is a reality that affects thousands of people, who need help to cover their basic food needs. Food banks carry out essential work to attend to the most vulnerable groups, but in recent years they have suffered a reduction in donations and surpluses with which they can continue to attend to those who need it most. For this reason, at the "la Caixa" Foundation we are once again opening the solidarity campaign No home without food with a contribution of one million euros and, together with CaixaBank and FESBAL, we are calling on citizens, organisations and companies to join one of the most important annual campaigns of the food banks in Spain to continue helping those who need it most", stressed the deputy general manager of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Marc Simón.
"We are very aware of the difficulties that many families in Spain have in covering their basic needs, including one as fundamental as food. For this reason, for yet another year and as part of the social commitment that is part of the bank's DNA, CaixaBank, the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation and FESBAL are working together to help alleviate this situation and we at the bank are putting all our knowledge and technology at the service of the public to facilitate donations to any household without food. Through all our channels (ATMs, Bizum, the app and the bank's website), anyone who wants to help can do so quickly and easily, whether or not they are a customer of the bank", added CaixaBank's Director of Social Action, Josep Parareda.
All the information about the campaign and the different ways of collaborating can be found at www.ningunhogarsinalimentos.org.