In Italy, five million people live in poverty. Like other countries in Europe, the pandemic has widened the poverty gap, with unemployment on the rise. Faced with few other options, some of the country’s unemployed are now reliant on food banks for support.
Banco Alimentare coordinates a network of 21 food banks in Italy and a further 8,000 charities, using food that otherwise would have gone to waste to feed those in need. Since the pandemic, the number of people being supported by Banco Alimentare and its associated charities has risen from 1.5 million to 2.2 million.