A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Social innovation and food provisioning initiatives to reduce food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic
Abstract This paper examines food provisioning initiatives that were implemented to reduce food insecurity during the period of the spread of Covid-19. Food insecurity increased sharply during this time, particularly among those who contracted the virus and had to remain in quarantine, and those who suddenly lost their jobs. As a possible solution to alleviate the problem, voluntary organisations collected food from stores with surplus produce (such as restaurants that were forced to close, supermarkets, etc.) and redistributed it to people in need. This redistribution occurred in several Italian cities, including Cremona, which was one of the first towns in Italy to be dramatically affected by the pandemic. Looking through the lens of social innovation theory, this paper analyses redistribution initiatives in this town and assesses their capacity to enhance their impact on social wellbeing and to involve local society in response to social challenges. Thanks to desk research and interviews with several volunteers, it demonstrates that these initiatives are good examples of social innovation, as they address emerging social challenges and generate benefits for the entire society (not just food aid recipients), reconfigure previous aid models, actively involve local population, and assume educational and social assistance purposes.
Highlights Food insecurity increased a lot at the time of the restrictions imposed to counteract Covid-19 To alleviate it, some local voluntary organisations collected food from local stores with surplus (such as restaurants forced to close) or supermarkets and redistributed it to people in difficulty. These initiatives are good examples of social innovation They address emerging social challenges, and generate benefits which extend to the whole society beyond the confines of the volunteering associations and food aid recipients who are directly involved. They reconfigure the previous aid models, involve actively more human and financial resources and assume educational and social assistance purposes.
Social innovation and food provisioning initiatives to reduce food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic
Abstract This paper examines food provisioning initiatives that were implemented to reduce food insecurity during the period of the spread of Covid-19. Food insecurity increased sharply during this time, particularly among those who contracted the virus and had to remain in quarantine, and those who suddenly lost their jobs. As a possible solution to alleviate the problem, voluntary organisations collected food from stores with surplus produce (such as restaurants that were forced to close, supermarkets, etc.) and redistributed it to people in need. This redistribution occurred in several Italian cities, including Cremona, which was one of the first towns in Italy to be dramatically affected by the pandemic. Looking through the lens of social innovation theory, this paper analyses redistribution initiatives in this town and assesses their capacity to enhance their impact on social wellbeing and to involve local society in response to social challenges. Thanks to desk research and interviews with several volunteers, it demonstrates that these initiatives are good examples of social innovation, as they address emerging social challenges and generate benefits for the entire society (not just food aid recipients), reconfigure previous aid models, actively involve local population, and assume educational and social assistance purposes.
Highlights Food insecurity increased a lot at the time of the restrictions imposed to counteract Covid-19 To alleviate it, some local voluntary organisations collected food from local stores with surplus (such as restaurants forced to close) or supermarkets and redistributed it to people in difficulty. These initiatives are good examples of social innovation They address emerging social challenges, and generate benefits which extend to the whole society beyond the confines of the volunteering associations and food aid recipients who are directly involved. They reconfigure the previous aid models, involve actively more human and financial resources and assume educational and social assistance purposes.
Social innovation and food provisioning initiatives to reduce food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic
Cattivelli, Valentina (author)
Cities ; 131
2022-10-03
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English