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Food Assistance in Nordic Welfare states – Questions of Ambiguity and Dignity

Linde, Stig LU ; Söderberg, Maria LU ; Leo Sandberg, Elinn LU orcid ; Pollari, Milja and Salonen, Anna Sofia (2024) International FORSA/NASSW conference
Abstract (Swedish)
Forsa conference 2024: Social Work as Emancipatory Practice (17-19 juni)
Abstracts to Symposium to Conference theme Social welfare and poverty

General abstract [Pollari, Salonen, Leo Sandberg, Söderberg, Linde]
Food Assistance in Nordic Welfare states – Questions of Ambiguity and Dignity
Milja Pollari, Anna Sofia Salonen, Elinn Leo Sandberg, Maria Söderberg, Stig Linde (corresponding author/symposium convener), researchers from University of Eastern Finland and Lund University in a newly started Nordic research network on food assistance.
Access to food has been taken for granted in Nordic welfare states. When food assistance emerged in Finland during the recession of the 1990s, it was not seen as fitting the... (More)
Forsa conference 2024: Social Work as Emancipatory Practice (17-19 juni)
Abstracts to Symposium to Conference theme Social welfare and poverty

General abstract [Pollari, Salonen, Leo Sandberg, Söderberg, Linde]
Food Assistance in Nordic Welfare states – Questions of Ambiguity and Dignity
Milja Pollari, Anna Sofia Salonen, Elinn Leo Sandberg, Maria Söderberg, Stig Linde (corresponding author/symposium convener), researchers from University of Eastern Finland and Lund University in a newly started Nordic research network on food assistance.
Access to food has been taken for granted in Nordic welfare states. When food assistance emerged in Finland during the recession of the 1990s, it was not seen as fitting the ethos of the welfare state. However, this has now changed, also in Sweden, as many faith-based civil society organizations, such as City Missions, have become increasingly important actors in combating food poverty by distributing food. This change raises questions about the right to food and who bears the responsibility. A new framework has also emerged that links food assistance to the fight against food waste.
Previous studies on food aid in high-income countries show various experiences of deservingness and social and personal shame. The symposium aims to bring together diverse voices on food assistance. In two papers, the voices of food recipients have been documented and analyzed, and one paper is based on the perspective of the professionals involved in food assistance.
At an overall level, the analysis shows that not only the visitors but also the professionals themselves were affected by the exposed situation of the visitors. We can describe diverse approaches employed by professionals in safeguarding the dignity of visitors. Relating to the conference theme, on a societal scale, the various types of food aid provided by civil society organizations risk shifting the focus to short-term solutions rather than to underlying factors contributing to both food poverty and food waste. This observation calls for envisioning alternative ways to ensure the right to food.
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Food assistance, Food aid, Food aid professionals, charitable food assistance
conference name
International FORSA/NASSW conference
conference location
Gothenburg University, Sweden
conference dates
2024-06-17 - 2024-06-19
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a7367586-1818-43d4-8e48-5f4f922780ed
alternative location
http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.trippus.se/eventus/userfiles/253579.pdf
date added to LUP
2025-01-19 21:58:14
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:20:38
@misc{a7367586-1818-43d4-8e48-5f4f922780ed,
  abstract     = {{Forsa conference 2024: Social Work as Emancipatory Practice  (17-19 juni)<br/>Abstracts to Symposium to Conference theme Social welfare and poverty<br/><br/>General abstract [Pollari, Salonen, Leo Sandberg, Söderberg, Linde]<br/>Food Assistance in Nordic Welfare states – Questions of Ambiguity and Dignity<br/>Milja Pollari, Anna Sofia Salonen, Elinn Leo Sandberg, Maria Söderberg, Stig Linde (corresponding author/symposium convener), researchers from University of Eastern Finland and Lund University in a newly started Nordic research network on food assistance.<br/>Access to food has been taken for granted in Nordic welfare states. When food assistance emerged in Finland during the recession of the 1990s, it was not seen as fitting the ethos of the welfare state. However, this has now changed, also in Sweden, as many faith-based civil society organizations, such as City Missions, have become increasingly important actors in combating food poverty by distributing food. This change raises questions about the right to food and who bears the responsibility. A new framework has also emerged that links food assistance to the fight against food waste. <br/>Previous studies on food aid in high-income countries show various experiences of deservingness and social and personal shame. The symposium aims to bring together diverse voices on food assistance. In two papers, the voices of food recipients have been documented and analyzed, and one paper is based on the perspective of the professionals involved in food assistance.<br/>At an overall level, the analysis shows that not only the visitors but also the professionals themselves were affected by the exposed situation of the visitors. We can describe diverse approaches employed by professionals in safeguarding the dignity of visitors. Relating to the conference theme, on a societal scale, the various types of food aid provided by civil society organizations risk shifting the focus to short-term solutions rather than to underlying factors contributing to both food poverty and food waste. This observation calls for envisioning alternative ways to ensure the right to food.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Linde, Stig and Söderberg, Maria and Leo Sandberg, Elinn and Pollari, Milja and Salonen, Anna Sofia}},
  keywords     = {{Food assistance; Food aid; Food aid professionals; charitable food assistance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  title        = {{Food Assistance in Nordic Welfare states – Questions of Ambiguity and Dignity}},
  url          = {{http://chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.trippus.se/eventus/userfiles/253579.pdf}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}