Food Banks in East London: Growth by Stealth and Marginalisation by the State

In debates about the formation of policies to alleviate poverty food banks are considered by some to inhibit the development of policies to address structural inequalities that account for poverty, social and health inequalities. By feeding hungry people food banks bring immediate relief, but, it is argued that the availability of emergency food removes pressures from policymakers to adopt a social justice and rights-based solution to address the causes of food poverty. Following her research on Trussell Trust Foodbanks two years ago Lambie-Mumford called for a debate on these issues before food banks become institutionalised (Lambie-Mumford 2013). In this paper we describe how a policy of dissociation by central government has created a space for food banks to multiple by stealth. The lack of policy debate has been accompanied by a largely absent discussion about how food banks operate in practice, and in this study we asked food bank managers what they do, and how they are coping with, and adapting to increased demand for their services.