Bayreuth (dpa / lby) – More needy, fewer food donations: The situation of the food banks in Bavaria is tense. Among other things, the war in Ukraine is leading to more customers, says Peter Zilles, chairman of the Bavarian food bank association based in Bayreuth.
Another problem is the corona pandemic, says Zilles: “It slows down the serving of food if we can’t let so many people into our premises at the same time.” At the same time, the enormous electricity and heating costs put a strain on the coffers. At a local association that he knows well, the price of energy has more than doubled, says Zilles.
The food donations, on the other hand, are decreasing, says the state chairman. Because the ordering systems in grocery stores are becoming more and more intelligent, which means fewer unsold goods are left over. “Of course that’s perfectly fine,” says Zilles. But as a result, the volunteers could distribute less to the needy.
In his opinion, one ray of hope is that the Bavarian state government has promised more money for the food banks. That helps, for example, to cover the increased energy costs or to finance further training for the employees of the Tafel. “You need knowledge of food protection, food hygiene or food law, for example,” says Zilles.
In Bavaria there are 174 Tafels, where Zilles estimates that about 7,000 volunteers are currently involved. Zilles estimates that there are around 250,000 nationwide people in need who get food from the food banks.
