The (de-)politicized motivations of food charity volunteers in Ghent and perspectives for the right to food

Abstract

The increasing presence of food banks in the charity landscape has been a familiar pattern across the developed world. As food banking is growing in importance, it is more and more integrated into existing welfare arrangements to supplement states’ efforts to challenge food insecurity, causing widespread fear of a depoliticization of the issue of food poverty. In Ghent (Flanders), over a dozen organizations are specialized in food assistance. Food support in Ghent relies largely on the work of volunteers who have a very diverse range of motivations, more or less politicized, to join organizations that themselves articulate varying discourses. Using a multimethod approach, this study investigated the motivations of volunteers and the dominant discourses within the sector. Furthermore, a photography project encouraged volunteers to be reflexive about their work and to exchange perspectives with volunteers from other organizations. It was found that volunteers mostly express self-oriented or charity-based motivations for entering the sector but for some of them, their experiences with people in poverty helped them to develop a more politicized view of food poverty. Moreover, the data revealed that there is a plurality of discourses within the food support macro-sphere in Ghent and within individual organizations. Finally, participation in the photography project has led to new reflections and learnings for volunteers, supporting the politicization process. Thus, organizations are encouraged to create environments that are more conducive to reflexivity and deliberations for volunteers as it is crucial to mobilize them in the fight for the right to food.

— Abstract, taken from the master dissertation.