Hit by inflation, many young people have been forced to turn to food aid for the start of the 2022 academic year. Between inflation and the pandemic, many factors are weighing on student budgets, making food aid a necessity.

What is food aid?

Food aid helps to combat food insecurity through the distribution of food supplies as well as support for those receiving assistance. Food aid is more than just emergency support; it is also a way to restore social connection.

Food aid can take various forms such as distributing food parcels, providing meals in community kitchens or through street outreach, offering access to social grocery stores, or subscriptions to vegetable boxes…

This food aid is provided by a large number of stakeholders via non-profit networks (such as Les Restos du Cœur) and municipal and inter-municipal social action centers (CCAS and CIAS).

Other solidarity initiatives also exist in the region, such as solidarity cooperatives, community hubs for meeting and sharing, financial aid, and practical guides for eating for free or on a tight budget.

Why are young people affected by food insecurity?

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The pandemic is one of the main factors driving the need for food assistance. Students have found themselves more isolated or have sometimes lost their student jobs as a result of the pandemic and a decrease in support due to travel restrictions (such as the inability to return home to their parents).

• According to the INSEE study "The health crisis has exacerbated the precariousness of food aid recipients", box 2, 83% of students using food aid at the end of 2021 stated that they only turned to food assistance after March 2020.

• And 79% of respondents to The survey on students receiving food parcels (2020-2021) used food aid for the very first time since the start of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Inflation is also responsible for the growing demand for food assistance among young people. It goes hand in hand with the pandemic. According to the FAGE (General Federation of Student Associations) the cost of living has reportedly risen by 7.38% compared to last year. The same observation applies to UNEF (National Union of Students of France), which estimates that the cost of living increased by 6.47% in 2022 for students, which represents an additional €428.22 in annual out-of-pocket expenses for students. Rising costs in other areas are putting a strain on students' grocery budgets.

These complex situations reduce students' financial resources and push young people to seek food assistance, even though certain barriers still exist.

Barriers to accessing food assistance

Non-take-up of food assistance is caused by a lack of awareness of the aid, by choice or by necessity.

This lack of awareness covers several areas, affecting both lack of knowledge about the system and access requirements and identification.

• In general, beneficiaries, like the general population, know that support systems exist but are unfamiliar with the details : locations, target groups, hours, etc. Students often do not know they are eligible for this assistance.

• There is also a lack of awareness regarding access requirements. Some believe that specific conditions must be met to use these services (such as income or employment status), while others assume they are ineligible (for example, thinking that receiving one type of aid disqualifies them from food assistance).

• Another lack of awareness occurs when the public does not identify with the service offered. This clearly touches on collective perceptions of food aid, which lead some people to feel that the service is not meant for them. Students very often do not see themselves as a group that can benefit from this aid.

Non-take-up can also be a matter of choice. We can distinguish between non-take-up by choice linked to past experience or to misconceptions about food aid.

• On one hand, some people forgo food assistance programs due to consumer logic when dissatisfied with the offer provided (poor experience, unsuitable offer, lack of fresh products, etc.).

• On the other hand, some people do not wish to use it because of the stigma associated with food aid (dependency, poverty, etc.). They are fully aware of their socioeconomic situation and identify as eligible for food aid but do not wish to seek it out.

Finally, non-take-up is sometimes due to various constraints.

• Accessibility of the location (lack of a vehicle in rural areas, mobility issues due to health problems related to a disability).

• Operating hours (incorrect hours listed on the website, hours unsuited to the public (evening openings may be unsuitable for isolated women, etc.), temporary closures, etc.).

• Financial reasons (the cost of the financial contribution required by some programs acts as a barrier for the most disadvantaged).

• Administrative procedures for enrollment and the difficulty of remaining in the system (some eventually abandon an offer due to administrative constraints: too many appointments, requests for supporting documents, etc.).

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All of these factors constitute barriers to requesting food aid but must not prevent young people from seeking this helpIt is in this spirit of democratization that Solinum provides its solidarity guide: Soliguide.

How can I find food assistance?

To address these barriers, Solinum decided to create Soliguide. It is available online via the website, an app, an API, and printable fact sheets.

Soliguide is a platform that lists a large number of social service organizations in France. You can find hot meal distributions, social grocery stores, or food parcels in your desired location. Simply enter your need "meal distribution" for example, as well as their location "11th arrondissement of Paris" and the platform will suggest a list of organizations offering the requested service.

This platform streamlines referrals and simplifies access to social emergency services, such as food aid.

By centralizing and frequently updating information, Soliguide aims to be an innovative response to current social work challenges.

Food aid is becoming a critical issue for students at the start of the 2022 academic year, and will be even more so with the arrival of winter and rising energy prices. Soliguide offers students an innovative and accessible solution.

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Sources:

Government website – Solidarity and Health website

AREAS and ORS report – Non-take-up and opting out of food aid

INSEE study (2020-2021) – The health crisis has exacerbated food insecurity among aid recipients

Survey by the association Co-p1 – Students receiving food parcels

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