Big rush, but less donated food: The pressure on the food banks in Germany is high. “Our food banks are in constant crisis mode,” said the chairman of the umbrella organization of Tafel Deutschland, Andreas Steppuhn, to the German Press Agency. First the war in Syria, then the corona pandemic and finally the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have further aggravated the situation in recent years. “Poverty in Germany is increasing – and noticeably,” said Steppuhn.
According to the information, there are currently 973 food banks that support up to two million people. Since the war in Ukraine began in February last year, food banks have reported an average of 50 percent more customers. “It varies very regionally,” said Steppuhn. The rush is particularly large in the big cities.
People’s shame is often very great
“The high inflation puts a strain on both people and the food banks themselves,” the chairman continued. “It’s not just refugees who come to us, but there are now pensioners, single parents or people in the low-wage sector.” Customers are often ashamed of having to go to a food bank. “The people who come to the food bank are in real need and think twice about standing in line at the food bank.”
Reducing food waste has become an important issue in Germany – but with consequences for food banks. “Of course, we fundamentally welcome it when less food is thrown away and supermarkets and discounters work more sustainably,” said Steppuhn. “But of course it means that the food banks have fewer food donations and at the same time more customers.” According to the information, the main items used are foods such as rice and pasta, which tend to be donated less because of their long best-before date.
According to the umbrella organization, the first German food bank was founded in Berlin 30 years ago. 60,000 helpers, 90 percent of whom are volunteers, are involved with the food banks nationwide, as Steppuhn reported. “We actually need a lot more, the Tafel activists are at their limits.”
Effective poverty reduction is expected
If there is no longer enough food on site or if opening hours have to be reduced, this is very difficult for the volunteers. At the same time, the food banks also experienced a lot of solidarity – this was also reflected in the monetary donations. The television lottery alone supported Tafel Deutschland with funding of 23 million euros at the beginning of the year. The sum has already been applied for in full, which has helped many food banks a lot.
Steppuhn emphasized that the Tafel is a voluntary organization and not a state institution. His demand: “The expectation from politicians is that poverty will finally be combated effectively, because as food banks we cannot solve everything.”
When asked, the chairwoman of the German Social Association, Michaela Engelmeier, explained that the high number of customers at the food banks speaks for itself. “We need wages and pensions that people can actually live on – this includes a minimum wage of 15 euros,” she said. “As long as that doesn’t happen, millions of people will have to stock up on their fridges.”
