Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups

Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups by Andrew Fisher

The author of Big Hunger wants food banks to drop their focus on general-purpose progressive advocacy. He totally misses the point. Food banks succeed because they provide something valuable with minimal "baggage". You have a momentary crisis and need food? You go to the food bank. You are struggling long-term? You go to the food bank. It does not require asking questions are filling out forms. Involving the government and programs makes things more complicated and accidentally chases off people that really need programs. There is already a stigma involved in reaching out for food. We don't need to make it worse. 

There is a place for social advocacy and programs attacking root causes of conditions. There is also a need for highly targeted interventions that can be easily accessed. These should not be confused. Some food users would benefit from higher minimum wage. Others may lose their job if minimum wage is raised. Some others may not even be capable of working.

Other critiques in the book are more valuable, but also disjointed. People consuming food aid tend to eat more unhealthy diets. Some food benefits (like SNAP) are limited in what they can be used for. Should we replace food aid with cash aid that can be used for anything? Or should we tie down food aid so that it can only be used for the most healthy foods? How should the existing food programs be reformed?

Corporations currently are major donors to food programs. Do they exercise too much influence? Are we afraid of clamping down on sugary drinks because the drink producer may stop providing orange juice? Are the companies just dumping food that would not sell? Is that a problem? What do we do about food waste? When hungry, any food is better than none.

Overall this book was a disappointment. It had detailed citations, but was jumbled in its argument. The author would clearly like all social organizations to rally behind a single progressive agenda. Luckily, we continue to have diverse group of organizations and programs.