Belgium's Restos du Cœur federation is running a budget deficit of more than €400,000 at a time when it is faced with a sharp rise in demand for meals, the non-profit organisation said in a statement on Wednesday.
The federation, which provides meals and other forms of support for persons in need, is thus calling for an increase in the federal and regional budgets allocated to food aid.
"If this alarming situation continues, there is a real risk that we will no longer be able to ensure the continuity of our activities," it warned on the eve of World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.
Meals distributed increased by 141% in five years
Restos du Cœur is already seeing a 3% increase in the number of meals distributed in the first half of 2024 compared with the second half of 2023, reflecting the structural growth in demand for food aid. "This negative trend, which is continuing this year, is a deep cause for concern," the federation says.
In the space of five years, the number of meals distributed has risen by an impressive 141%, from 670,000 in 2019 to a record 1,621,489 in 2023. "This situation is really becoming untenable," Restos du Coeur insists.
The organisation is calling on future federal and regional governments to increase the budget allocated to food aid in order to "guarantee sufficient support for vulnerable populations and avoid disastrous consequences for food security in the years to come."
It warns that the consequences of any reduction in the food aid budget could be felt very quickly.
Increasingly tense situation
For the past five years, food aid associations have been finding themselves in an increasingly tense situation. Year on year, unsold goods and food donations are becoming increasingly scarce, while the number of beneficiaries is rising sharply.
The organisation has listed a number of demands to step up the fight against poverty and improve the well-being of people in need.
In particular, it is proposing that the Belgian budget for the European Social Fund (ESF+), dedicated to food aid, should be maintained and, ideally, increased, by mobilising the support of the federal government and the regions.
The non-profit organisation also wants professional food aid distribution platforms to receive subsidies commensurate with the size of the associations and their needs. It believes an annual budget of €3 million each for Wallonia and Flanders, and €1 million for Brussels should help meet basic food needs throughout the country.
Scientifically validated poverty indicators needed
Restos du coeur is also recommending that it be recognised as a "key local partner" of local authorities and that priorities for the redistribution of unsold food be changed, by favouring donations to food aid platforms over commercial platforms, in return for financial incentives.
Lastly, the association is proposing a review of the current approach, which is often based on a "hunt for fraudsters," and is asking the relevant public services to produce a biennial report on the fight against poverty in order to monitor the application of the measures they introduce.
In this context, scientifically validated poverty indicators need to be developed so as to draw up effective and transparent social policies, the federation stresses.
