Study Aim: to explore the discourses present within the food insecurity narrative during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the experiences and perspectives of food aid users and the effects food aid use has on wellbeing.
Background: the growing number of foodbanks seen since 2014 has been attributed to the neoliberal austerity measures implemented since the 2008 financial crisis. Organised foodbanks have produced high volumes of quantitative and qualitative research into the causes of food insecurity and foodbank use, with limited research being published around independent food banks, and a small amount determining the food aid users experiences of food insecurity and the reported effects on their wellbeing.
Methods: this study performed a critical discourse analysis to determine the discourses present within the food insecurity narrative in British media. This was followed by completing in-depth semi-structured interviews with food aid users and volunteers at an independent community food hub. Using qualitative multi-methods to analyse the findings and explore the discourses found within the food banking social world.
Results: during the COVID-19 pandemic, British media challenged the neoliberal discourse ‘undeserving and deserving poor’, in a number of different ways. Food aid users reported strong feelings of stigma, shame and guilt associated with food aid use, and a loss of control and power. Using Foucault’s disciplinary power to explain the loss of power seen within the food banking social world and food insecurity narrative.
Conclusion: food aid users are reliant on food banks when in a crisis, they lose control and have power removed from them. With the creation of the neoliberal discourses and stigma, and subsequent feelings of shame and guilt their wellbeing is negatively affected. However, the independent community food hub resists the discourses and stigma through actively challenging them.