Taking stock of the ambiguous role of foodbanks in the fight against poverty

This article distills three key issues of concern from the literature on the role of foodbanks in the fight against poverty. It illustrates these issues with empirical material from a study on foodbanks in Belgium. The first issue concerns the problematic relation of foodbanks to structural poverty reduction. Second is the problematic position of people in poverty within the foodbank system. Third is the role of foodbanks in so called 'welfare retrenchment' and the shifting of responsibility from state to charity. We end by discussing recent evolutions and reflecting on what margin exists to improve in each three areas.