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The research examines the perspective of Israelis assisted by Non-governmental organization (NGOs) to promote their food security. This qualitative study employed the Interpretive Phenomenological Approach. The sample consisted of 16 recipients of food support aged 33-62, and they were interviewed in-depth semi-structured protocol.
Five main themes emerged: The background of food insecurity; Forms of food support; The experience of receiving food support; The effect of the assistance on food security; and the responsibility for food security. The participants indicated that the state welfare system should be responsible for food security, and they prefer payment cards that enable them to purchase food suitable to their individual needs while maintaining their dignity. Although the support provided does not entirely extricate families from food insecurity, they gain confidence by being able to receive food in times of hardship. The findings indicate the importance of considering the opinions of those in need when making policy decisions regarding food security.
Keywords: food security, non-governmental organization
INTRODUCTION
Food security is the ability to access to enough food for an active, healthy life. But some individuals and households experience food insecurity at times during the year. Food insecurity, defined as the limited availability or inability to reliably and regularly procure nutritious food because of a lack of money and other resources, is a serious problem in many industrialized countries (Bickel et al., 2000; Coleman-Jensen, 2019). The underlying causes of the condition lie in economic crisis or recession, the decline of the welfare state, and globalization, any of which can lead to a rise in unemployment, debt, and a reduction in purchasing power. The consequent cuts in the benefits granted to low-income families do not enable them to obtain the food required to meet their needs (Leisinger et al, 2002; Loopstra et al., 2015; Reeves et al., 2017).
Statistics show that in 2018, 11.1% of the households in the US and 18% in twenty-eight European countries were food insecure (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2019; Davis & Geiger; Loopstraet al., 2016). In Israel, a survey from 2016 (Endeweld et al., 2018) found 17.8% of the households suffering from food insecurity, of which about half were (8.8%) severely food insecure. They consisted primarily of families in which the sole source of income was social benefits,...