A study of the operational program for the delivery of European Union food products in the region of murcia (Spain)

Abstract

The State, through its public institutions, and sometimes through private ones, promotes and manages the necessary measures to make citizens' rights effective. In the current situation, in which poverty and social exclusion rates are very high, it is important to carry out a reflection on the effectiveness of certain measures implemented to alleviate situations of need in the region of Murcia (Spain). European regulations provide numerous tools for the struggle against poverty, social exclusion, and, implicitly, hunger. The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (fead) assigns funds to each European country, on the basis of their poverty and unemployment rates, to buy food that will later be distributed by non-profit entities in order to reduce poverty and foster social inclusion. Food Banks, for example, function in this case as Associated Distribution Organizations (oad, according to the acronym in Spanish) that receive the food products acquired and distribute them among the Associated Delivery Organizations (oar, according to the acronym in Spanish), which, in turn, deliver them to the target population. The article carries out a reflection on food protection within the national Spanish legal framework, as well as on its specific situation in the region of Murcia. On the basis of in-depth interviews and of the discourse of professionals from the delivery entities and of beneficiaries, the article delves into the scope of food delivery financed by fead and its effectiveness in satisfying the right to food and as a measure fostering social inclusion. The perception and assessment of this resource by its beneficiaries serves as the basis to analyze other aspects related to the image of poverty and its visibility.