英國和德國食物銀行初探及其對臺灣帶來的省思

Exploring Food Banks in the UK and Germany: Insights and Implications for Taiwan

本文主要探討英國和德國食物銀行發展的背景和運作方式，繼而結合文獻討論福利緊縮與食物不安全的關連、食物銀行運作上的限制及剩食再分配的矛盾等，最後對臺灣食物銀行的實施提出一些省思。

英國和德國食物銀行和其使用人口的增長是福利國家經費緊縮的表徵，限於剩食的質與量不足，食物銀行只能處理食物貧窮而無法回應食物不安全問題，學者也多倡議須從食物貧窮和食物不安全問題成因結構面加以介入處理。此也提醒臺灣除積極鼓勵民間食物銀行的多元和創意方案外，政府也須將社會救助與其他福利服務系統重新定位和調整，修改進入救助門檻以納入更多需要幫助的家庭。

 

This article explores the development and operations of food banks in the UK and Germany. It synthesizes literature to discuss the connection between welfare austerity and food insecurity, operational constraints of food banks, and paradoxes in redistributing surplus food. The paper also offers reflections on the implementation of food banks in Taiwan.

The expansion of food banks in the UK and Germany symbolizes the impact of welfare austerity. Constrained by the quality and quantity of available surplus food, these banks address food poverty but fall short of adequately responding to the broader issues of food insecurity. Scholars advocate for a structural intervention in addressing the root causes of food poverty and insecurity. The article suggests that Taiwan not only fosters a variety of creative private food bank initiatives but also reforms its social assistance and welfare services by broadening eligibility criteria to encompass a wider spectrum of families in need.