New Food Solidarities

Dr Lucia Bordone, Prof. Nicolas Duvoux

Food aid has been the subject of criticism and proposals for public action for several years. It remains an emergency response to situations of deprivation and lawlessness, but also a means of adjusting the budgets of the most modest households. These reasons explain the growing recourse to food aid, marked by the succession of crises (health, then inflation). The scale of these crises led to the right to food being put on the agenda, and Geneva became the first Swiss canton to adopt it, following a vote in 2023.

Despite its irreplaceable role and the need, at least in the medium term, to maintain distribution systems, food aid poses problems of lack of efficiency in the allocation of mobilized resources, freedom of choice and dignity for the beneficiaries. Complex distribution circuits, placed at the end of the mass distribution chain, have gradually been developed and become structured. Furthermore, initially developed around the need to combat waste, they are increasingly resorting to the purchase of foodstuffs to meet the needs they encounter and to ensure a homogeneous supply of sufficient quality. However, these distribution systems have the advantage of being able to constitute a gateway to social support and to provide access to focal points (associations) physically present in the places dedicated to distribution. How can the redesign of food aid contribute to fostering genuine empowerment for individuals in social vulnerability? How are foundations addressing this issue, and how do they find ways to provide dignity and respect for individuals while recognizing their capacity for initiative and choice? What is the flow of ideas between foreign examples, particularly from the Global South (such as South America, Southern Africa[1]), and local social initiatives and innovations?

The study conducted by Dr Lucia Bordone from the Hautes Ecole en Travail Social (HETS) is dedicated to the study of "New Food Solidarities" through the implementation of a participatory, multidisciplinary study system including an experiment with food "cards" offering more flexibility and freedom to beneficiaries, following the example of the "Passerelle" project developed by Action Contre la Faim in Montreuil in the outskirts of Paris. 

The Geneva Centre for Philanthropy contributes to the implementation of this approach as part of a multi-dimensional partnership with Dr Lucia Bordone: implementation of a rigorous evaluative approach and application of a scientifically measured protocol; reflection on the role of orientation, initiative, experimentation and “right to fail” of philanthropic foundations[2]; contribution to the public space and civic deliberation by setting up and leading a Committee of Parties bringing together the academic, associative and political actors concerned.

[1] Ferguson, J. (2021), Presence and social obligation. An Essay on the Share, Prickly Paradigm Press.

[2] Reich, R. (2018) Just Giving : Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better, Princeton University Press.