Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Food banks, a charitable response to a politically driven crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand, have become institutionalised. They emerged in an ad hoc manner and, since the 1980s, have helped address the emergency food needs of those experiencing food poverty. Food Rescue organisations, a later creation, emerged in an organised and planned manner. They have helped to address the needs of those experiencing food poverty by increasing the quantity, and the amount of perishable food available for distribution.METHOD: This article draws on academic literature and research of the Dunedin/Otepoti newsprint media completed for a thesis in 2017 to provide background about how these organisations came to exist and the socio-political context that supports their existence.FINDINGS: The development of food banks in Dunedin/Ōtepoti reflected the global explanations for their rise; however, with the advent of KiwiHarvest the mechanisms for addressing food poverty are undergoing a paradigm shift.IMPLICATIONS: These new mechanisms have the potential to be more inclusive of those experiencing food poverty. Choice of food, involvement of recipients in the policy setting and the distribution of food, and fewer criteria are possible innovations. There are also opportunities for this new paradigm to extend and enhance the traditional role of food banks in conversations and actions that address social justice issues.
Highlights
The beginnings of food banksTwo of the most notable academics writing about food banks, Poppendieck (1998) and Riches (1986), concur that the world’s first food bank was established in Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America (USA). Poppendieck (1998) dates 1967 as its inception
Food banks, a charitable response to a politically driven crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand, have become institutionalised
The development of food banks in Dunedin/Otepoti reflected the global explanations for their rise; with the advent of KiwiHarvest the mechanisms for addressing food poverty are undergoing a paradigm shift
Summary
Two of the most notable academics writing about food banks, Poppendieck (1998) and Riches (1986), concur that the world’s first food bank was established in Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America (USA). Poppendieck (1998) dates 1967 as its inception. About 95% of the food banks were church initiated (Whale, 1993) Attempts by those researching food banks to establish more accurate numbers proved difficult and one researcher concluded that the lack of a national database of food banks contributed to this (Mackay, 1995). This helps to explain why the literature lacks specificity about the emergence of these early food banks This reflects comments in the international and Aotearoa New Zealand literature relating to the lack of baseline and historical data to determine the number of food banks (Crack, 2001; Poppendieck, 1998). The emergence of food banks in Dunedin/Otepoti is discussed later in this article
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