Understanding Food Assistance Through Care: Theoretical Insights

Abstract

Two theoretical perspectives have been extensively mobilized to understand the social role of food assistance initiatives, namely ‘food security’ and ‘political economy’. The main objective of this article is to develop an alternative theoretical approach that allows for more comprehensive analyses. Building on Thomas’s (1993) conceptual work on care, it is expected to encourage the development of studies that incorporate less-obvious elements that (also) characterize food assistance organizations, such as the various interactions and practices that are not directly related to food donations.