Food Aid and the Emergency

Food System in Greece

January 13, 2017 Public Report June 2017

Primary Project Team

Laura Lawson, PhD (Rutgers University), Director of Research Professor and Dean, Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs

Virginia Quick, PhD, RD (Rutgers University), Project Manager Assistant Research Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Meredith Taylor, MA, MPH (Rutgers University) Research Associate, Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs

Maria Kapsokefalou, PhD (Agricultural University of Athens) Professor of Nutrition and Deputy Rector

Panagiotis Kotsios, PhD (American Farm School of Thessaloniki) Lecturer and Researcher

Salome Rao, PhD (Rutgers University), Greek Liaison Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Ethan Schoolman (Rutgers University) Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ecology

Rutgers Advisory Team

Robert M. Goodman, PhD Executive Dean, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD, RD Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Cara Cuite, PhD Associate Research Professor, Department of Human Ecology

Nurgul Fitzgerald, PhD, RD Extension Specialist in Health Promotion and Behavior

Kenneth Karamichael, ED.M Director, Rutgers NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education

Lucas Marxen, MS Assistant Director of Research and Technology

Brian Schilling, PhD Assistant Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Table of Contents

I. Introduction – Food Aid and Emergency Food Security Systems in Greece ...... 3 The Changing Context of Food Aid in Greece ...... 3 Framing Food Aid ...... 4 Who Is Involved in Providing Food Aid ...... 5 What Types of Aid Are Available ...... 7 Where Do Interventions Occur ...... 12 Pulling It All Together ...... 13 Additional Considerations ...... 14 II. Current Snapshot of Food Aid in Greece ...... 18 Direct Production ...... 20 Commercial Agriculture Urban Agriculture (Boroume’s Urban Farm Pilot) Food Reclamation ...... 22 Food Bank Boroume AB Vassilopoulos Supermarket Direct Food Aid ...... 26 Government Program – Fund for the European Aid of the Most Deprived (FEAD) School Meals – Food Provision Programs for Children in Schools Consumer Choice ...... 32 III. Recommendations for a Sustainable Food Aid System ...... 34 Strengthen the Food Aid Community……………………….………………………………………………………….34 Production Opportunities Linked to Food Aid………………………………………………………………………36 Food Reclamation throughout Greece ……………………………..…………………………………………………37 Scaling Up Direct Aid ………………….……………………………………………………………………………………….38 Engage Those Being Served …………………………………………………………………………………………………39 Next Steps .………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….42 Bibliography ...... 43 Appendices ...... 45 Appendix A. Semi-structured Interview Questions ...... 45 Appendix B. Greece Interviews and Site-Visits ...... 47 Appendix C. Map of Case Study sites ……………………………………………………………………………………50 Appendix D. List of Attendees at Rutgers Greek Food Aid/Food Security Workshop ...... 51 Appendix E. List of Tours and Meetings During the Week of the Workshop ...... 52

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I. Introduction – Food Aid and Emergency Food Security Systems in Greece

The Changing Context of Food Aid in Greece

Dramatic changes in perceptions of food security and the need for food aid in Greece are occurring due to the current economic crisis. Increasing pressure on the existing emergency food systems is part of larger social and health consequences associated with recent austerity measures of the 2010 and 2012 MOU and loan agreements (Sotiropoulos and Bourikos, 2014). With decline in per capita income – a decline from 17,374 euro to 12,354 euro between 2008 and 2013 – middle-class and lower-income families are experiencing dramatic cuts in living standards (Sotiropoulos and Bourikos, 2014; Trading Economics, 2016). In addition, increased unemployment has resulted in nearly one-third of the population being at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with almost 19 percent of those persons considered extremely poor or materially deprived (Sotiropoulos and Bourikos, 2014). A “mass and violent pauperization” of the middle class has left the previously assumed social safety net shredded and unsustainable (Roussos, 2015). In this context, many Greeks are food insecure, meaning that they do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Limited research available has revealed that of 16,000 Greek families surveyed, over half (53.1 percent) suffer from food insecurity without hunger and 21 percent experience food insecurity with hunger (as reported by Prolepsis, one of the interviewed Greek organizations). Additionally, in 2014, UNICEF released a report highlighting the alarming rates of child poverty and malnutrition in Greece (UNICEF, 2014).

Greece is not alone in its need to address food insecurity, which is a global concern. Emergency food aid, particularly when official government programs have limited ability to intervene, typically involves a multi-pronged approach that engages philanthropies, non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, and individuals. Findings from a recent philanthropic landscape assessment for food and agriculture conducted by the Meridian Institute affirms that food security is an important concern for many donors in the upcoming 5 to 10 years (Meridiean Institute, 2015). Additionally, donors have highlighted the need to look more holistically at nutrition and public health as it relates to food systems, given the important interrelationships with other critical issues such as improving access to healthy and nutritious foods and supporting small producers.

As the economic crisis has unfolded, Greek individuals and organizations have stepped in to shoulder much of the responsibility for the provision of medical care, food, shelter, education, and other social services, as well as special needs of the disabled, elderly, and very young children (Roussos, 2015). With very limited government financing to carry out this work, these groups (registered NGOs and informal organizations) have looked to the private sector for funding, and Greece’s largest philanthropic firms, including the Niarchos, Bodossakis, Onassis and Latsis Foundations, have answered the call. In particular, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has sought to alleviate some of the adverse effects of the deepening crisis through its three-year, 100 million euro “Initiative Against the Greek Crisis.” These

3 funds are allocated to non-profit organizations working to provide critical relief, including food aid, to thousands of people. Some of the major and novel programs that have been implemented include the Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition (Prolepsis), Mobile Medical Units, and Social Housing and Day Care Centers (SOS Villages and Praksis) programs (Stavros Niarchos Foundation, 2015). These programs have introduced new and more effective nutritional, medical, and social service models throughout Greece.

Framing Food Aid

The purpose of this study is to investigate various aspects of food aid in Greece, with the goal of identifying opportunities to improve food aid and security strategies overall. This study was not intended to identify people in need or gather quantifiable data on impact; rather, it looks at the food aid system as a whole in order to understand the types of assistance available and how it is distributed and received. The research team acknowledges that, as primarily non-Greeks, our perspective is largely that of informed outsiders. Ultimately, the richest data and recommendations that result will come from a participatory process that engages food aid stakeholders in a full analysis of the report findings and dialogue regarding the next steps.

Figure 1 below outlines the research process. The team developed for a multi-method approach – research, interviews, site visits, workshop sessions, and comparative case studies. Support information about the process is provided as appendices.

Figure 1. Flow Chart of Research Study Design

The research strategy was guided by important a priori research questions:  How have Greek governmental and non-governmental organizations responded to the food aid crisis in Greece?  What are the most effective approaches to food aid?  What is the role and/or potential of networking/collaboration?  Given the hypothesis that Greek food aid will be required for the long term, what improvements can be implemented to assure more efficient and equitable aid?

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Examining these questions raises the basic need to define the who, what, and where of food aid.

Who is currently involved in providing food aid?

The first step involves understanding the organizations and people involved in providing food aid – where they are positioned in society, what type of aid they provide, and how they reach intended audiences. This leads to analysis of the capacity of different providers (Figure 2).

Producers

If long term food aid programs are to be sustained, Greece will have to address the issue from the supply side. Given a proper policy framework, Greek farmers could play a significant role in reducing hunger and improving household food security. In addition to commercial agriculture opportunities, non-profit organizations and individual households can become producers as well. Familial and personal connections with agriculture may enable farm produce to reach non-farming households. Gardening and urban agriculture are ways that individuals and families can be producers. Figure 2. Diagram of Sectors Involved in Food Aid System Engaging industry and food processors more deeply is also an avenue of opportunity. Currently, the food industry provides donations of food items close to expiration. Yet there is more capacity – particularly in processing – to develop, package, and distribute products specifically for emergency food aid, particularly large-scale opportunities like school lunch and institutional meal programs.

Institutions and Organizations

The food aid environment consists of many different organizations working at varying scales. Prior to the emergency, the primary providers of food aid were the church and municipalities and efforts were focused principally on service to homeless, people struggling with substance abuse, and other vulnerable groups. Churches and municipalities have continued to fill vital roles in food provision as demand has increased. Since the crisis, the central government has sought to establish food aid programs, often funded through the European Union (EU) and, therefore, held to EU regulations. For instance, the Ministry of Social Solidarity has received support through the EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), which has strict requirements that determine to whom and how food is provided. Although these programs have been helpful in preventing starvation, the resources received through EU-funded initiatives are limited in their reach – leaving many completely unserved and others without sufficient quantity and quality of food to maintain good health.

Official non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have stepped in to fill the need for food aid, either as sole purpose or as an added service to a targeted clientele. NGOs, such as food banks, serve a central

5 role bridging producers to institutions in need. Other NGOs, such as programs serving children, have expanded to provide food pantries and other food-related resources in addition to previous programs.

Unregistered organizations, solidarity groups, and individuals without official status have done inspiring work to provide assistance to people unable to get help through government programs. They provide services to thousands of people each day who would have nowhere else to go for help. Often seeking to remain highly democratic and less hierarchical, these groups receive no aid from the government or the EU and are restrained by their own internal resource capacity (volunteers, funding, etc.).

Philanthropic organizations are significant actors in framing food aid as well. Food aid organizations often rely on philanthropic groups to support new efforts, such as the pilot school snack program, or provide funds to purchase needed supplies (refrigeration, trucks, computers, etc.). Attending to the sustainability of such investments, philanthropic groups are also effective at strategically framing areas of social concern, such as food aid, and then assisting in networking and strategic planning.

Consumers

Although there is substantial evidence of need – longer lines at soup kitchens, increasing requests at service providers, children fainting from hunger in school – there is little existing quantitative data on the food insecure in Greece. To date, Greece does not track important information about lifecycle needs at a national level. The short timeframe of this research project made obtaining advanced IRB (Internal Review Board) approval impossible. Therefore, our primary research methods were limited to information that could be obtained from individuals in their capacities as paid workers or volunteers.

Through our interviews, we learned that some programs, particularly those operated through the churches, have a fairly sophisticated intake process. Individuals may be required to supply a lot of personal information, including tax records, to determine their eligibility to receive assistance. Changes in circumstances, such as loss of a job or housing, are generally reported so that people can get additional assistance, if possible. Home visits may also be done when additional assistance is requested.

To date, there is almost no sharing of information and data among food aid and solidarity groups. Thus, statistics reported and impressions of need can vary greatly depending on recordkeeping and analysis of the information collected. This team believes there would be significant value in the development and distribution of a survey instrument to track information over time regarding the nature of household food insecurity.

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What types of food aid are available?

Acknowledging that food aid is distributed through varied approaches, we need to understand the typology (types) of food aid to better understand and analyze the challenges faced and synergistic opportunities between them. The types we have identified are based on the literature – U.S. and international – and practical observations (Figure 3). In our analysis we grouped the types of food aid distribution channels into the following four categories:

 Direct Production  Food Reclamation  Direct Aid  Consumer Choice

Figure 3: Types of Food Aid Direct Production

Growing and producing food is one way to increase supply and create direct connections between producer and consumer. Variety, nutrition, portion size, cultural appropriateness and other concerns can be addressed through control of what is grown and produced for food aid.

Currently, Greece does not have a developed market for surplus agricultural commodities similar to the United States’ provision of foods for the National School Breakfast and Lunch programs. Some possible approaches include engaging farmers through contracts – farmers selling produce to be used in food aid – or through donations, such as gleaning. Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from fields after they have been commercially harvested or fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. America’s Grow-a-Row illustrates a non-profit program that grows and donates fresh produce on their own farms and through gleaning at partner farms, largely through the support of volunteers (http://www.americasgrowarow.org).

In addition to rural agriculture, urban agriculture engages individuals and charitable organizations in food production through collective farms, allotments, and community gardens. Urban food production has been an approach frequently used to help individuals and families meet their household food needs during times of economic hardship, food shortages, or rationing. The tradition of European allotment gardens dates back to the 1800s and served as a means to provide land for food production to laborers in cities, villages, and countryside. In the United States and Europe during World War I and II, civilians planted victory gardens during periods of food rationing to increase supply and demonstrate patriotism and national pride. In the 1970s, the community garden movement enabled stronger neighborhood ties, reduced the amount of money spent outside the home for food, and improved diet quality by

7 providing easy access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods. In these circumstances, urban agriculture is experienced as an empowering activity, allowing individuals to exercise more control over their physical environment, personal health, and finances.

Food Reclamation Amid increasing concern about hunger and food insecurity, as well as exploding rates of food waste, innovative food reclamation initiatives seek to solve both problems with one creative solution. Food reclamation, or food rescue, seeks to reduce good waste through the redistribution of prepared and unsaleable foods to charitable organizations that feed the poor. Food reclamation often involves bridging organizations that connect industries and groceries with social serving institutions. As a result, such organizations must satisfy the needs of both industry and recipient organizations by developing models beneficial to both parties. Organizations engaged in these activities typically reclaim food in one of the following ways:

1. In the field: Although not widely practiced in Greece, gleaning allows for the harvesting of a second or third crop from farm fields after commercial harvesting has occurred. Organized gleaning is frequently initiated by the farmer when significant amounts of food, still perfect for consumption, will be left to rot in the field or plowed under for a total loss. There are successful and efficient gleaning networks that bring people and farmers together in support of emergency food aid. After collection, most gleaned food is distributed to food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries.

2. In the warehouse: Typically, the largest amounts of fresh and non-perishable foods are reclaimed from the warehouses of supermarkets, wholesale distributors and suppliers, and other large food industry operations. In the United States, the Feeding America food banking network has extremely close ties to the food industry. Food items aggregated from warehouse shelves include those close to expiration, overstock of seasonal items, boxes and cans with misprinted labels or other cosmetic defects that make them unsaleable in retail stores. Across the United States, tens of millions of pounds of food, that would otherwise be discarded, is redirected and distributed as food aid. We found the same to be true in Greece. Both the Athens and Thessaloniki food banks, along with other food aid organizations, receive donations from Greek supermarkets and the food industry. Much of it comes from warehouses and grocery shelves, but there are also significant efforts to collect donations directly from customers.

3. At the table: The final opportunity to recapture surplus foods exists with the end user, or consumer. Many grassroots groups organize food reclamation activities at this level. Catering halls, bakeries, restaurants, and cafeterias will often have large amounts of prepared food left over each day and after special events. The leftover food is packed and picked up, or delivered daily to organizations that feed people in need.

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Food Bank Food banks are a central resource in the food reclamation model. A food bank is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes food to charities providing hunger relief. As shown in Figure 4, food banks call on and engage various sources in the food industry, such as grocery stores and wholesalers that have thousands of kilos of food that would otherwise be thrown away. Food banks also collect food donations from individuals. They often rely on volunteer support to carry out day-to-day operations. Figure 4. Food Bank Model (http://www.eurofoodbank.org/food- In Europe, the Federation of European banking/an-efficient-model) Food Banks (FEBA), is a non-profit organization registered under French law that oversees an international network of food banks with 23 members. FEBA has a complicated and extensive regulatory structure through which participating food banks must be certified. Although FEBA membership is not required to establish a food bank, there are significant advantages for participating in this network. In 2014, FEBA member food banks distributed 2.25 million equivalent meals per day (411,000 tons of food) to 33,800 partner charitable organizations that supported 5.9 million people ("Federation of European Food Banks," 2016).

There are many models for food banks. One example is FareShare UK, a national charity that works with major food retailers, along with over 1900 charities and community groups, to redistribute surplus food to those in need (FareShare UK, 2016; http://fareshare.org.uk/). Additionally, they have developed a FareShare Food Efficiency Framework to help guide food businesses, identify surplus food, and redistribute it to generate social environmental and economic benefits for the business and communities in which they operate. In the United States, the Feeding America network is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization, securing donations from national food and grocery manufacturers, retailers, growers, packers, the government, and other agencies and coordinating the distribution of this food to its network of 200 food banks and 60,000 pantries in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (http://feedingamerica.org . Feeding America provides 4 billion meals annually to people in need. Around one in seven Americans are served.

Critics of food banking, such as the academic Martin Caraher and food activists Mark Winnie and Nick Saul, argue that food banks benefit all but the users themselves (Ronson and Caraher, 2016). Winnie states, “we should seriously examine the role of food banking, which requires that we no longer praise its growth as a sign of our generosity and charity, but instead recognize it as a symbol of our society’s failure to hold government accountable for hunger, food insecurity and poverty” (Winnie, 2008). Food manufacturers have food they need to dispose of and charitable welfare agencies have

9 clients/beneficiaries that are in need of food aid (Booth and Whelan, 2014). Despite the underlying structural causes of hunger, the food bank industry remains the dominant solution to food poverty in most countries. However, there is little evidence to suggest that food banks are able to reduce food insecurity and hunger in this manner. Thus, new approaches and partnerships with stakeholders are key challenges for food banks to work more effectively at addressing food poverty (Booth and Whelan, 2014; Saul, 2013).

Some countries are investigating ways to tackle food insecurity, health, and poverty through their food banks. The food bank of Western Australia has pioneered the integration of healthy lifestyle considerations into core food bank business and is recognized as a leader in this area (Butcher et al., 2014; http://healthyfoodforall.com.au). The primary aim of its Healthy Food for All (HFFA) program is to supply food to those in need using a holistic approach that addresses nutrition and physical activity. Since its inception in 2007, the HFFA initiative has demonstrated a positive impact on food security, health, and well-being of participants (Butcher et al., 2014). This food bank, along with others that have been successful, are good models to learn from and potentially adapt/implement elsewhere.

Direct Food Aid Direct food aid provides food directly to those in need. A common manifestation of direct food aid is the food pantry or social grocery, where individuals can come and receive perishable and non-perishable food to take home. In some cases, individuals can select the food they want, but in others it is pre-determined. Another type of direct food aid is the congregate meal sites, such as a soup kitchen, where people wait in a queue and receive prepared food they can eat on-site or carry home. Municipalities, churches, and NGOs may run social groceries and soup kitchens and rely on food reclamation programs and other sources for the foods provided and served.

School meals School meals are another form of direct food aid. Given that most children spend hours each day at school, the school environment is an ideal setting for initiatives to improve child dietary intake and behaviors (CDC, 2011). School feeding programs help to reduce food insecurity and promote healthy nutrition. Additionally, these programs are associated with improvements in students’ general health status and academic performance, reduction in school dropout rates, and the ability to strengthen communication and trust between educational stakeholders and the surrounding community (Belot and James, 2011; Flodmark et al., 2006).

A Europe School Food and Nutrition workshop convened in 2014 gathered experts from 28 EU countries to discuss ways to best build on current knowledge at maximizing schools’ potential both to educate and ensure a healthier student and future population (Joint Research Centre, 2014). Potential areas for intervention that were highlighted include the following: 1) local government participation (with improved capacity to evaluate food insecurity), 2) creation of strong networks between local food producers and schools, 3) improvement of nutritional quality of food assistance programs, 4) integration of traditional diets as a sustainable and healthy dietary pattern in school curriculum and canteens, and 5) improvement of school staff workforce capacity to be involved in the solutions (Joint Research

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Centre, 2014). Findings from discussions of this workshop suggest the strong commitment from European schools and the value added to providing healthier school food environments for children.

All public schools in the U.S. provide meal options that include purchasing options, reduced price, and free lunch programs. In the U.S., there has been significant policy development around the issue of healthy school meals. The National Farm to School Program and FoodCorps are examples of two initiatives that advocate for the inclusion of more fresh locally grown ingredients in school menus and provide resources and educational support to help children become more “food literate.” These changes began at the grassroots level outside of large bureaucratic agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and have gradually been absorbed and woven into the policy fabric of the national school lunch program.

Direct food aid can inspire new businesses to support food aid efforts. These businesses, for-profit or non-profit, can fill much-needed niches in food production and processing, transportation, and delivery. For instance, the U.S.-based firm Revolution Foods, legally organized as a “social benefit” corporation, was founded by two mothers with an interest in transforming school meals (http://revolutionfoods.com). The company focuses on providing access to healthy and affordable meals. The company began as a program that served freshly prepared school meals to students. However, challenges with infrastructure and labor costs demanded a shift to a “vended” meal. Revolution Foods operates several culinary centers across the country. One site in Edison, New Jersey, prepares 2 million meals per week for participating East Coast schools between Boston and Washington, DC. None of their menu items contain any artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, or high fructose corn syrup. Revolution Foods’ key marketing points are the following:  Quality ingredients with emphasis on plant-based foods.  A supply chain that includes “the best national brands w/specialized local products.”  All meals meet or exceed nutrition standards set by USDA – Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.  Meals are prepared by hand at culinary centers nationwide and delivered fresh daily.

Consumer Choice In the consumer choice model, funds are provided through a debit card and people use the card at participating markets/grocery stores to purchase food items of their choice. An example of this is the electronic benefits transfer cards used by the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so that households can buy food at participating grocery stores and some restaurants (https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental- nutrition-assistance-program-snap). There are some restrictions, such as no alcohol or tobacco products may be purchased. Additionally, some participating farmers’ markets encourage purchase of fresh produce through “bonus dollars” in the form of tokens or paper coupons for purchases made with SNAP benefits. Another example is the World Food Program’s (WFP) e-voucher system, which replaced its previous in-kind food assistance with a program of cash and voucher transfers (http://www.wfp.org). In 2014, WFP used cash and voucher transfer modalities in 87 projects across 59 countries worldwide. Advantages to such models include:  Fast, efficient and generally secure

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 Reduces costs of transporting and storing food  Offers greater choice for beneficiary  Stimulates trade and benefits local economy, including the small holder farmers  Strengthens partnerships with governments

Consumer choice also includes individual efforts to collect food, such as arriving at the end of farmers’ markets to pick up left-over produce at low or no cost. Such efforts rely on individual initiative.

Where do interventions occur?

This analysis of the emergency food system requires understanding the social and institutional context of service delivery (Figure 5). This is particularly critical in light of the mix of institutions and organizations involved and where they intercept those in need with their services. For instance, EU sponsored programs have a centralized structure and often face challenges in accessing individuals in need. However, these programs can coordinate with efforts at the regional and muncipal level to improve participation and delivery of food aid. Inversely, individuals have most direct control of access through self-help efforts, such as community gardens. They may access food aid through local and informal venues, however there may be citizenship criteria that limit access. Muncipal and regional-level programs may be an essential conduit between national and local efforts.

Philanthropic organizations can provide some of the “glue” to encourage interactions across the various scales of intervention. These efforts have both a top-down and bottom-up dimension, as suggested in figure 5.

Figure 5: Context for Service Delivery and Examples of Supportive Opportunities at Various Levels of Intervention

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Pulling it all together

Figure 6: Conceptual Framework for a Food Aid System

This analysis of who is providing services, what type of services, and where the services are being implemented synthesizes into a comprehensive perspective on what is needed to assure a sustainable food aid system for Greece (Figure 6). By clarifying who is currently involved in food aid, the central role of institutions and organizations as intermediaries between food producers and consumers is clear – it is here that most existing food aid effort is centered. Less developed is the connection with direct production, both with agriculture and industry, as well as with self-help efforts, such as community gardens. And even though the context is one of emergency need, it is still important to consider the perspective of the consumers – what types of aid they prefer and where they can apply and access food. Some of the strategies focused on consumer choice have limited presence in the current Greek food aid system.

The multiple types of aid also suggest increased capacity for producers, institutions and organizations, and consumers. For instance, this analysis reveals the limited engagement of producers in food aid. Is it possible to engage farmers in food aid programs, such as gleaning or contracts related to commissaries serving institutions? Should some food aid organizations consider moving into production to expand food aid supply? How might more engagement with producers – farmers, as well as the food industry – change current models of food reclamation relying on salvage and rescue that may have little to no risk for the industry, but also may result in limited impact?

Lastly, analysis of where aid is provided – national, regional, municipal, local, and individual – suggests opportunities for networking across scales. For instance, personal contact at the local level can be useful in connecting individuals with national programs. Consumers may find opportunities to access aid at multiple levels in order to get adequate amounts of food. This suggests the utility in shared databases

13 and coordinated delivery timing and mechanisms. By bridging scales, there may be efficiencies in food storage and transportation as well.

Additional Considerations

To address the question of a long term, sustainable food aid system for Greece, we examined international models for emergency food systems and food aid. The international perspective re- affirmed some of the issues identified in the Greek research and also raised in conversations with Greek food aid organization staff. However, it also revealed some considerations that may not yet be part of the Greek strategy or discourse. Critical issues that consistently rose to the top as being important for long term food aid include addressing networking and information sharing, food transportation and distribution, nutrition and health, food safety, and volunteerism. Each of these topic areas suggests the potential for important changes to the current Greek emergency food system (Figure 7).

Networking and Information Sharing Traditionally, Greek voluntary organizations and NGOs that provided food aid and other services depended on state funding, which was provided through different ministries of government in a less-than-transparent fashion (Sotiropoulos and Bourikos, 2014). After the crisis, deep economic cuts to salaries, pensions, and the social safety net forced citizens and groups to mobilize and provide basic human Figure 7: Additional Considerations in a Sustainable Food Aid System services that used to be the responsibility of government. These solidarity groups and networks sprung up in an unpredictable fashion, often engaging in activities and services that overlapped each other and lacked coordination and leadership. Many also lacked the requisite skills or resources to implement programs and services efficiently (Sotiropoulos and Bourikos, 2014). Some of our observations confirmed this finding, as we identified many instances where better communication, stronger professional networks, and greater emphasis on partnerships and cooperation could greatly increase the number of people receiving services and benefits. Thus, an important food security strategy would be to improve networking and information sharing capacity between food aid providers (registered and unregistered groups), as well as the public and elected and government officials at the local and national level.

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Food Transportation and Distribution Planning for long-term sustainability of emergency and supplemental feeding systems will require a deeper examination of Greece’s existing food transport and distribution infrastructure. The country’s mostly mountainous terrain extends into the sea as peninsulas encompassing an archipelago of almost 2,000 islands which makes the logistics of food transportation difficult, even in the best circumstances.

Although road accessibility in Greece is slightly below the European average (Ecorys Nederland BV, 2006), there are still opportunities for innovation that could significantly improve efficiency in food transport. A web platform, developed in Greece, called JoinCargo was developed with the explicit purpose of creating efficiencies with transportation of goods on the roadways by bringing together companies that need to ship freight with carriers who need to fill their trucks (JoinCargo, 2016). Given that a number of Greek food aid organizations do not have refrigerated vehicles and/or limited capacity for transportation/distribution of food, developing a model similar to JoinCargo may be an effective and efficient strategy to consider for providing safe foods to those in need throughout Greece.

Another consideration in addressing food transportation issues in Greece is the food hub, a physical site that serves as a central place for collection, production, and distribution of food products. Although many food hubs are focused on serving local and regional producers, they can also serve the emergency food system (Hardy et al., 2016). In some cases, community-based food hubs also provide job training and support value-added production and small business creation. There are also “virtual hubs” that work like online buying clubs to aggregate orders.

Nutrition and Health Keeping focus on the nutritional integrity of meals in emergency food systems can be extremely challenging. Unfortunately, emergency food systems everywhere are very dependent on donated food and, in most cases, this results in a loss of control over the quality of foods flowing through the system. An obvious tension can exist in the often competing goals of 1) providing sufficient quantities of food to as many people in need as possible and 2) ensuring those foods are as healthy and nutritionally dense as possible. Industry donates products close to expiration, overruns, etc. Individuals will drop into bins unused items from their pantries at home, or extras of whatever they can afford to buy at the store. Finally, groups involved in food salvage are called to pick up extra food from restaurants, bakeries, catering halls, etc. Under these circumstances, food aid providers can rarely anticipate what or how much they will receive.

In a true emergency, it is probably right to place quantity and safety ahead of quality factors, such as nutrient density. However, as the crisis has passed the half-decade mark, there are likely to be long- lasting, if not permanent changes to the structure of the Greek economy. During our interviews, it was widely acknowledged that the “emergency” has passed. What Greeks are experiencing now is a “new normal,” in which considerations about food must shift from emergency mode to developing comprehensive supplemental nutrition programs as part of a restructured social safety net. This shift in thinking is critical to ensure that vulnerable populations with special dietary needs, particularly pregnant

15 women, infants, children and the elderly, receive nutrient-dense foods and adequate calories for optimal growth and development, and the overall maintenance of good health.

Especially for children, specific nutrients like calcium are of importance to promote optimal bone density that will assist in growth and reduce risk of bone loss later in life. Poor health during childhood/adolescence is linked to disrupting education and employment pathways as well (Hale et al., 2015). Thus, children’s eating behaviors will influence their growth and health during childhood, adolescence, and the rest of their lives. This has a substantial impact on their long term health and service to Greek society. Investment in supplemental feeding that provides permanent access to adequate amounts of safe and nutritious food should be part of the overall strategy to reduce food insecurity and hunger.

Food Safety Food safety, particularly in situations where food supplies are insecure, is of great concern. The potential for food to become contaminated as a result of improper hygienic practices and food handling procedures is significant, especially in emergency settings where workers, volunteers, and clients may have inadequate protective infrastructure, equipment, sanitation supplies, and training. Food safety is a hidden and often overlooked problem because foodborne diseases, regardless of how they occur, are largely underreported.

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly promotes the integration of food safety into nutrition and food security programs (World Health Organization, 2016). They have long collaborated on several joint activities with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health to ensure food safety at all stages of the food chain. Through cooperation at the international level, these agencies are able to assess the risk of foodborne hazards, set international standards, operate global alert mechanisms, assess the relevance and safety of new food technologies, and help countries build basic capacities. Locally, WHO encourages officials to communicate the importance of food safety in messages tailor-made to their communities because there may be cultural differences in food and eating practices (Chan, 2014).

Overall, as individuals and groups organize and act to save, reclaim, redistribute, prepare, and serve food to the public, greater consideration must be given to providing appropriate training, equipment, and infrastructure. Among registered NGOs and other groups working closely with business and industry, we observed their adherence to a well-developed set of food handling and safety standards in line with HAACP principles, as well as more sophisticated legal frameworks, such as MOU’s that explicitly shield food donors from liability – in the event that people are sickened from foodborne illness. Extraordinary care is taken to ensure that no food beyond the expiration date is donated or served, and proper instructions on safe temperatures for holding and serving food are included with each delivery to the food provider.

This level of organization and care needs to spread outward to smaller, grassroots organizations that, although well-intentioned, need significantly more capacity in the area of food safety. They often lack

16 appropriate temperature-controlled vehicles for the transport of certain foods, and outdoor communal kitchens have no access to running water or proper food prep space. The development of a universal set of food safety guidelines and requirements for all groups preparing or serving food to the public should be part of an overall food security strategy.

The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) has the responsibility to ensure the safety of the food consumed in Greece. EFET is a partner of all projects administered by the central and local government (FEAD, school lunches, etc.) in order to ensure the safety of large scale implementation of projects. EFET has offered to train, at no cost, all persons involved in food preparation in small structures, such as civil society initiatives, NGOs, and soup kitchens.

Volunteerism There is a highly social dimension to all of the channels through which food aid is distributed. The one constant in all of our observations was the volunteer. Volunteer labor is a key social resource upon which all food aid distribution to some extent depends. But, the scale of the economic crisis coupled with catastrophic levels of refugee migration into the country has meant that the normal support mechanisms in the public and private sector have been overwhelmed. In the very best circumstances, NGOs and government agencies that serve marginalized, vulnerable, and poor people typically have more need than resources. Thus, in a crisis of this magnitude, paid staff members alone do not have capacity to accomplish all the critical tasks that need to be undertaken. Volunteers are a crucial resource for food aid organizations, particularly with the overall lack of trust in government and the drain on government resources created by the crisis. It could even be said that volunteers help to make food aid distribution channels run swiftly and smoothly.

Despite all the volunteerism we observed, recent studies suggest that the rate of volunteerism in Greece lags behind those of other EU countries for a host of historical and institutional reasons. A European Union study conducted in 2010 classified Greece among countries, including Italy, Lithuania, and Bulgaria, in which less than 10 percent of the population aged over 15 engaged in voluntary activities, whereas the EU average was 22 percent (Volunteering, 2010). Low rates of volunteerism may be due, in part, to the fact that the density of NGOs within Greek society is also relatively low. Also, within the government, there is no single ministry responsible for coordinating or encouraging volunteerism, no recognized definition of or well-funded public infrastructure for volunteerism, and no framework for validating the informal and formal learning made possible through volunteerism or of quantifying the benefits of volunteerism for Greek society as a whole.

Yet, there are also encouraging signs. Volunteerism in Greece, while relatively low compared to other western countries, has increased significantly in recent years, particularly among youth. For instance, students at the Agriculture University of Athens recently founded the “Volunteer Group at AUA,” and have taken the lead in collecting fruit from AUA farms and delivering it to the Center for Citizen Solidary in the City of Athens. Recent efforts by universities, NGOs and some government agencies have begun to lay a foundation for increased volunteerism in Greek society—a development that would have many benefits for Greek food aid organizations.

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II. Current Snapshot of Food Aid in Greece

In this section of the report, we use the framework just discussed to analyze existing Greek food aid programs. Rather than a comprehensive survey of all food aid providers, we sought to include examples that represent a range of institutions/organizations involved. Information was collected through website and literature review, interviews, and site visits. The food aid providers that we focused on were chosen based on recommendations from SNF and other community and university partners. Most are headquartered in Athens, although we also looked at the foodbank in Thessaloniki. The team conducted informal semi-structured interviews of 1-2 hours, often leading to open discussions about larger concerns about Greek economic recovery and societal health. Interviewees received research team notes to verify facts and engage in further discussion. The interview questions are provided in Appendix A, the list of groups in Appendix B, and map of sites in Appendix C.

The focus of the interviews was to get general background information and then to focus on collaborations, challenges, and broader assessments regarding opportunities to improve food aid in Greece. For each organization interviewed, we assessed the assets, challenges, and opportunities in five key areas of concern: partnerships, research and evaluation, capacity development, resource mobilization, and outcomes/impact. Using this method helped us get a broader picture of the current food systems landscape in Greece. Given the limited time spent with each organization and the changes underway in their operations as needs expand, our intention is not to focus on weaknesses or particular needs of any one organization. Rather, we seek to learn from existing programs in order to guide future efforts. Given the passion and dedication evident in the various Greek food aid programs, our analysis is structured around capacity building.

Table 1. A Description of Analysis Categories Category Description Partnerships  Any type of formal or informal agreement between two organizations that share knowledge, skills, resources, and/or profits. Research,  Any type of organized system in place for overseeing program initiatives, such as Monitoring and tracking data (e.g., number of meals served), site-visits, and testing of foods, that helps Evaluation with assessing the program and its impact on food aid. Capacity  The ability for organizations to strengthen and maintain their program initiatives and Development achieve their own development objectives over time.

Resource  Activities involved in securing new and additional resources while also making better Mobilization use of, and maximizing, existing resources that promote organizational sustainability. Outcomes/Impact  Measure of the tangible and intangible consequences of a program’s actions or influence upon another in providing food aid.

We then turned to international experts, providing them with information about the various Greek food aid programs and requesting guidance in identifying other models and opportunities. In November 2016, we convened a workshop in which experts, in person and via Skype, discussed best practices for food banks, food reclamation, school meals, and social services engaged in food aid. See appendix D for a list of the attendees. This was followed by a series of site visits, tours, and additional interviews by the

18 primary research team to key organizations providing food aid in the U.S. Northeast (see appendix E). Finally, we visited Greece for a second set of site visits, interviews, and tours.

We use our food aid typology (direct production, food reclamation, direct food aid, consumer choice) to organize our study of the current Greek emergency food system, situating various programs into this framework (figure 8). Case studies profile particular organizations. We also suggest areas of opportunity in each of these types. This section concludes with a summary of the analysis (table 2).

Figure 8: Case studies associated with different types of food aid.

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Direct Production in Greece

Commercial Agriculture To date, there are limited connections between Greek agriculture and current food aid programs. There have been a few rare cases when a farmer has been able to donate produce that did not meet packaging standards, and the complexity of this effort was compounded by difficulty transporting produce from farm to recipient organizations.

International models suggest the need to engage agriculture in Greek emergency food system planning. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the average Greek farm enterprises are small and the operator struggles to farm profitably, so stimulating production to address food aid needs must be framed in an economic model that also supports farmers. This may require updating infrastructure, training, and providing technical assistance to encourage new farmers and agro-food start-ups. Consolidating produce from farms and transporting goods may involve the development of “bridging” organizations or cooperatives. Rural farms, once scaled up, will have increased capacity to supply the various outlets for food aid distribution (social groceries and kitchens, food banks, and school food programs). Urban Agriculture Although there is a very limited historical tradition of urban agriculture in Greece, the economic crisis has spurred a few urban agriculture projects to enable people to grow what they can and reduce the need to buy. In our interviews, we learned that these initial projects received mixed reviews. We were told that one project failed colossally, souring residents and municipal leaders on any future attempts, while other projects seemed to have never truly “taken off”, eventually disappearing due to lack of resources and committed leadership. Urban agriculture has failed to thrive mostly because of inadequate preparation, planning, and poor organization. These challenges are compounded by a lack of trust that pervades many NGO-led initiatives.

Despite some recent failures, we encountered a few solidarity groups that were very interested in developing small urban and peri-urban farms and bringing value-added products to market. These groups’ members expressed a desire to farm in order to provide for their families and bring jobs and opportunities back to the community.

There are real advantages to pursuing urban agriculture in Greece. A long growing season, two agricultural universities, and a culture that embraces solidarity among its citizens could be foundational elements in building a citywide community gardening and urban farming movement. To build greater capacity, more training and workshops are needed to assist urban gardeners, farmers, while community groups, NGOs, and other institutional partners interested in starting programs may need guidance with

planning and organization. A communications and outreach strategy is needed to educate and engage the public. Finally, resources need to be available for a small paid staff to oversee gardens across the city as the program expands. Model programs like Seattle, Washington’s P-Patch Community Garden Program have organizational elements that might work very well in Athens (https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-services/p-patch-community-gardening).

Direct Production: Boroume’s Recent Urban Farm Pilot

Although just beginning, Boroume has developed what promises to be an influential model of urban agriculture for Greece. The organization recently acquired use of a site about 45 minutes outside of downtown Athens. The project relies on a strong network of volunteers to tend and care for the plot. They have also engaged a person who lives nearby and can be on site every day to check and monitor the garden. They are consulting with an agriculturalist for technical expertise.

The Boroume urban agriculture project is grounded in a partnership approach. They have “buy-in” and cooperation from the local municipality. In fact, we were told the mayor brought his own tractor to the site and plowed the land for the group.

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Food Reclamation

Currently, food reclamation is the most developed type of food aid in Greece. Most programs seek to redirect otherwise wasted food to serve those in need. Organizations in this area of food aid balance the needs and concerns of the food industry (producers and retail) with the capacity of direct food providers (soup kitchens, pantries, social-serving institutions, etc.).

In discussions with the Federation of Hellenic Food Industry (SEVT), it was made clear that the good generated by providing near-expiration date food or otherwise unsellable goods to food aid must be tempered with assurances from the food aid organizations that the food will not re-enter the marketplace. Therefore, they seek assurances of careful screening and tracking procedures. Recent changes in tax law now provide a monetary incentive for the food industry to donate near-expiration date foods to the food bank. Attention to food safety and legal structures that limit liability are also critical in the ongoing involvement of the food industry.

Given that this model is currently dependent on food waste, efforts to improve efficiencies within the food industry may limit access to excess foods. Recent efforts to control inventory mean less foods will reach near-expiration. While reducing waste is desirable, this means that new methods of acquiring food will be necessary. For this reason, food reclamation efforts in other countries have shifted into direct production and negotiated contracts with food producers.

Partnerships and volunteerism are critical in food reclamation efforts. These organizations work with multiple service providers and engage with many different public groups. As such, they have the opportunity to be a prominent public face in food aid. Engaging volunteers provides opportunities to connect people in their communities, offering unforeseen synergies through personal contact.

Three examples of food reclamation in this study are: the Food Banks of Athens and Thessaloniki, Boroume, and AB Vassilopoulos Supermarket.

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The Food Banks of Athens and Thessaloniki The first food bank in Athens was founded in 1995 by Gerasimos Vassilopoulos as an independent and self-governed charitable foundation. This was the first operator in Greece with the purpose to fight hunger and reduce food waste. Currently, the Food Bank in Athens has a good relationship with the food industry and receives donations from more than 80 companies in the Federation of Hellenic Food Industry (SEVT). In total, SEVT is partnered with ~1,240 food and beverage companies. On average, the Food Bank of Athens receives around 1,200 tons of food per year from food industries that is then given to around 144 soup kitchens and charitable organizations that directly feed the poor (e.g., nursing homes, hospitals, childcare institutions) with most food being distributed to local churches in Athens.

Food Bank of Athens Operation The Food Bank of Athens mobilizes food industries to donate food and non-food items so that the Food Bank can redirect them to charitable organizations. Industries donate food that cannot be sold due to faulty packaging and food close to expiration date or surplus amounts.

As a member of the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA), the Food Bank of Athens follows certain protocols to ensure food safety. Board approval is required before any organization can be given food and they conduct periodic check-ins after approval to make sure the organization is adhering to food safety standards and appropriate distribution to those in need. Once an organization has been approved, they are allowed to regularly receive donations by visiting the food bank with their own food trucks to pick it up. Based on need, each organization is allotted a specific amount of food, typically enough to last 15 days.

The food bank owns a private facility (1500 m2) in Athens that is equipped with refrigeration and deep freezing units to house food, beverages, detergents, and personal hygiene products. Most of the products received are dry goods. They receive little fresh produce and no meat because they are highly perishable; however, on occasion they will receive frozen fish products.

Food Bank of Thessalonki With growing food needs in the north, the Food Bank of Athens helped to establish a second food bank in Thessaloniki in 1998. As of May of 2016, this food bank now operates independently but still has a good working relationship with the Food Bank of Athens. The Food Bank of Thessaloniki, similar to the Food Bank of Athens, is a member of the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA), and receives mostly non-perishable goods from companies in SEVT (~35 total). In 2015, they reported receiving around 130 to 150 tons of donated food that were distributed to a number of food aid organizations in the city of Thessaloniki, with the majority of food distributed to local churches. Other charitable organizations to which donated food was distributed included social solidarity groups (e.g., Saint Panteleimon), NGOs (e.g., Praxis), municipality social groceries, Red Cross, and rehabilitation centers located in Thessaloniki. Unlike the Food Bank of Athens, the Food Bank of Thessaloniki allows municipalities and unofficially registered organizations (social solidarity groups) to acquire donated food from their food bank as needed.

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Food Reclamation “at the table” Boroume: A Case Study of a Bridging Organization in Food Recovery

Boroume, an officially registered Athens-based NGO, is a small but incredibly efficient and highly regarded organization specializing in food reclamation. Modeled after City Harvest, a New York City non-profit credited with being the world’s first and NYC’s only food rescue organization, Boroume acts as a bridge between food donors (e.g., restaurants, hotels, bakeries, green grocers) and providers of direct food aid (i.e., social services, soup kitchens) in more than 70 cities in Greece. Boroume began in 2012 and currently has 50 staff members of which five are fulltime and the rest are volunteer.

How do they operate?

Boroume manages a dynamic list of donors and recipients, seeking to connect those who have excess food with those who are in need. After this “bridge” is made, recipients pick up the food from donors, and Boroume periodically checks-in to make sure the connection is performing as expected. On occasion, when large donations are available from far outside Athens or one of the Greek Isles, Boroume has successfully arranged for third- party pick- ups and delivery. These arrangements were made possible through the large network of personal/professional relationships of Boroume’s executive director. The goal is to solidify these donor-recipient relationships in the hope they will become permanent and self-sustaining, minimizing Boroume’s oversight so it can focus on establishing more bridges.

In its role as facilitator, Boroume’s legal counsel drafted an MOU that donors and recipients may use to structure their relationship, so both parties feel secure. Once the donation leaves the donor’s door with specific handling instructions to ensure food safety, donors are protected from liability if subsequently, something should go wrong with the food. Boroume has made all of its information regarding who has and who needs food publicly available, via an interactive Google map. The interactive maps make it easy for them to combine donations with the needs of people based on geographical proximity of both parties.

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Food Reclamation “at the warehouse” AB Vassilopoulos Supermarket: A Case Study of Industry-based Food Reclamation

The AB Vassilopoulos supermarket is a family-owned business that was founded in 1933 by two brothers, Gerasimos and George Vassilopoulos. This same family started the first food bank in Athens in 1995 as well. The company has been very dedicated to food and environmental concerns, which has shaped its corporate culture. Additionally, the company is well known in Greece for its affordable food prices and variety of Hellenic products.

The AB Vassilopoulos store chain is now part of a Belgian company, Ahold-Delhaize Group (recently merged), which includes American stores like Food Lion, Stop and Shop, Giant, Haverford, Peapod, Martins, and BFresh. Ahold-Delhaize group controls 50 percent of U.S. East Coast market. The parent company has established goals and standards related to giving, reducing waste, and sustainability that are driving some changes in how the AB Vassilopoulos chain interacts with food aid organizations in Greece.

The store has an annual budget for donations and gives in multiple ways. Some of these include:

 Food Bank: AB Vassilopoulos manages inventory and donations through its warehouses, sending food that is close to expiration date to the food bank.  Donate to NGOs  Receive donations from customers in the store: Customers are encouraged to purchase extra items for donation and then leave them in donation baskets at the store’s exit. The TV channel Sky launched a campaign, “Mazi Boroume” – “Together We Can,” to promote this effort. The store food donations go to the Greek church (~50 percent) and the rest goes to other charity organizations that pick the baskets up at the store.  Food Reclamation: AB Vassilopoulos works with Boroume (not to be confused with Mazi-Boroume mentioned above) on distribution of surplus foods. They estimate that 1 million euros worth of food waste has been redirected to food aid.  Monetary Donations: Some products in stores indicate that, if you buy, 100 percent of the profit goes to NGOs.

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Direct Food Aid

Direct food aid – food packages, social pantries, and soup kitchens – is the “ground zero” of emergency feeding because it directly engages with individuals seeking food for themselves and their families. The team conducted interviews and site visits at organizations affiliated with the national and municipal government, several registered and unregistered NGOs, organizations affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Church, and independent solidarity groups. Organizations that provided direct food aid prior to the economic crisis have found it difficult to meet recent increased demand. Other organizations with social service missions have added food aid to their programs in order to address this need among their clientele. These organizations do their best to provide food and meals to those in need, and their passion is inspiring. Universally, feedback suggests that their efforts do not address all the nutrition and food needs of the people they serve. Many involved in direct food aid rely on partnerships and collaborations, often working with each other (i.e. municipalities working with the church) and relying on food reclamation programs (the food bank, Boroume) for supplies to use in their meals. There are great opportunities for increased networking across these organizations in order to link databases and coordinate services.

National Direct food aid engages many different types of organizations. National ministries and prefecture and city government agencies are involved in direct aid through EU- and nationally funded programs. For instance, the EU-funded FEAD program, described below, provides pre-determined packages of food to the most deprived. Prior to FEAD program funding, the Ministry of Social Solidarity had developed a “consumer choice” program that provided vouchers to the most deprived, however this type of aid could not be supported with FEAD funding and has ended. The Ministry of Social Solidarity has also been involved in school feeding pilot programs, which are described in a later section.

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Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) The EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) is now in its second phase in Greece and is still evolving. It is the successor of the Program for European Aid to the Most Deprived (PEAD) that ended in 2013. The objective of FEAD is to support the most deprived people to take their first steps out of poverty and social exclusion by addressing their most basic needs (European Commission, 2016). The program involves many layers of government – national, prefecture, and city.

Who is eligible and what can be provided to beneficiaries?  FEAD can be used to support most disadvantaged groups in society by providing food, basic consumer items (e.g., clothing, footwear, toiletries), or by organizing social inclusion activities.  FEAD can be used to finance the collection and distribution of food donations to combat food waste.

How does FEAD work?  The Commission approves the national programs for 2014-2020 on the basis of which national authorities take the individual decisions leading to the delivery of the assistance through partner organizations (usually non-governmental).  EU countries can choose what type of assistance they wish to provide depending on their own situation, and how the items are to be obtained and distributed.  National authorities can either purchase the food and goods themselves or supply them to partner organizations or fund the organizations so they can make the purchases themselves.  Partner organizations that buy the food or goods themselves can either distribute directly or ask other partner organizations to help.

How are partner organizations selected?  They are public bodies or non-governmental organizations selected by national authorities on the basis of objective and transparent criteria defined at the national level.

FEAD Program in Greece  Activated 57 partnerships all over Greece with participation of regions, municipalities, NGOs, legal persons under private law, consumer organizations, and informal social structures.  The partnerships have undertaken the food distribution to beneficiaries ---their goal is to have them become a “too” for active participation as well as control.  Through FEAD, 195,424 households containing 411,936 members have been given food products  Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture started a program that gave free fruit to beneficiaries of various vulnerable categories of the population (e.g., FEAD, SSI, etc.). The distribution was undertaken by 57 FEAD partnerships and, in total, 39,500 tons of fresh fruit has been distributed as of now.

European Commission FEAD Regulations  Provides provision of non-financial assistance to the most deprived persons defined as persons with an income less than 40 percent of the basic salary.  Article 4 of the FEAD Regulation establishes the eligible forms of non-financial assistance: food and/or basic material assistance (i.e., basic consumer goods of a limited value for the personal use of the most deprived persons), and social inclusion activities (European Commission, 2016).  Vouchers, payment cards and prepaid cards are considered financial assistance, and thus, not eligible for support under FEAD.

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Municipal The Greece municipalities in collaboration with ESPA state funding are able to meet the immediate needs of those deprived by providing multiple types of social services such as education/tutoring, counseling, and employment service. Additionally, municipalities facilitate FEAD benefits to those that qualify, along with other food aid service supplementation (food pantry) for non-FEAD families and individuals which is funded by private donations and companies.

Church

Most Greeks are Greek Orthodox by religion. Although each diocese provides emergency food relief in slightly Kallithea Social Grocery The Kallithea Social Grocery is a collaboration different ways (food may be catered or cooked on between Apostoli and the local municipality of premises), most churches receive bimonthly amounts of Kallithea. This social grocery (food pantry) food from the Food Bank. The Athens Archdiocese covers operates on support from the church through the City of Athens and some nearby communities – roughly Apostoli and donations from companies and 2 million people. Before 2010, the church had a small private individuals. Since it partners with the government, those receiving assistance through number of soup kitchens, mostly serving addicts, homeless, this organization must provide “papers” and and migrants. However, these numbers have exploded with identification. Officials here check regularly to the crisis. Currently, the churches serve tens of thousands make sure families are not receiving food benefits of hot meals daily across 78 parochial centers. from both the social grocery and other municipally operated centers. Community - Led

Many grassroots community efforts, often referred to as social solidarity groups, were established by private citizens to provide direct emergency food aid after the economic crisis. These “brick and mortar” spaces operate as soup kitchens and/or social groceries (food pantries), and they rely solely on private donations and volunteer labor. Although most are unregistered or unofficial, government officials are aware of their existence as they attempt to fill (Source: Apostoli-Philanthropic Organization of the very large gaps in Greece’s frayed social safety net. Some of Holy Archdiocese of Athens) these solidarity groups have expanded to include other social services, such as tutoring in Greek and English for children and adults in the immigrant communities, showers and laundry facilities for the homeless, counseling, and medical/pharmacy services.

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School Meals

Providing food aid through school-based meal programs has the potential to reach more than a half million households with children and could potentially have a substantial health impact for Greece. Globally, school-based nutrition interventions as part of a school feeding program have received particular attention, and have increasingly become a policy measure often adopted in developed and developing countries (Jomaa et al., 2011; World Food Programme, 2013). Given that good nutrition is essential for long term child health and growth, investing in school-based meal programs for Greek children (~600,000) is critical to ensuring a healthier future generation of Greek citizens.

In Greece, there is currently no cooking infrastructure in schools for the preparation and service of hot meals. There are also no governmental policy mechanisms (similar to USDA’s National School Breakfast/Lunch Program) that establish national standards or funding to support universal feeding in schools. Most students attend school from 8am to 1:30pm and then go home to have lunch with their families around 2pm. Traditionally, there has been a scheduled snack sometime during the school day in which they can bring their own food or purchase food from the school-licensed canteen owners. After reports that food shortages in the home were so severe that many children were fainting in school, foundations and NGOs moved quickly to establish programs that would begin to address the problem. Currently, three pilot projects seek to find a foothold with Greek school meals –the Diatrofi school snack program and the School Hot Lunch Meal program and the School Snack Program, both initiated by the Minister of Social Solidarity (the Diatrofi School Snack program and the School Hot Lunch Meal program are described below).

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School Snack Program in Greece - DIATROFI The Stavros Niarchos Foundation funded Prolepsis, a leading public health institute in Greece, to examine the potential for school food programs in Greece. Prolepsis developed a Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition program in schools called DIATROFI (Zota et al., 2016). The program continues to provide food-aid through distribution of a free daily, healthy and nutritious meal to all primary and secondary school participants in the program. Only select schools that meet specific criteria can apply for the program. Since 2012, the program has collected over 140,000 questionnaires with information on food insecurity, dietary patterns, physical activity, quality of life, health history, school performance and family affluence of participants in the program. Additionally, they have qualitative data from focus groups and interview data collected from parents and children.

Based on results from pretest surveys implemented before school-based food aid program: o 53.1 percent of families experience food insecurity (survey from Food Security Survey Module) o 21 percent of families experience hunger o 15 percent of families had BOTH parents receiving no outside income o 64 percent of families had at least ONE parent receiving no outside income o 7 percent of families were without electricity o 31.6 percent of children were overweight/obese o 10 percent of children were underweight

Results at post-test after receiving the school-based food aid program: o The percentage of children in households experiencing food insecurity significantly decreased (Petralias et al., 2016) o Those experiencing food insecurity with hunger at baseline were more likely to improve their food insecurity score than those who did not (Petralias et al., 2016) o Participating children were significantly more likely to consume more milk/yogurt, vegetables, and fruits (Zota et al., 2016) o Participating children had 61 percent higher odds of improving their BMI from overweight/obese to normal weight, and 2.5 times higher odds of improving from underweight to normal weight (Zota et al., 2016)

Where do meals come from?  Prolepsis works closely on finding the appropriate vendor/catering firm that will be able to meet their strict food specifications for the schools. In order to ensure that appropriate services are being rendered, they have a signed contract with the vendors with very specific rules (e.g., if not on time with food to the school they do not get paid).  Vendors are selected through procurement process and evaluation on technical standards and cost-efficiency.  The vendors are inspected on a regular basis by Prolepsis in making sure the food hygiene, quality, and safety are ensured constantly.  Ten samples checked daily for safety, quality, flavor, and compliance with standards.

What is the meal?  The breakfast or snack supplement varies from day to day but in general consists of a sandwich (whole wheat bread w/virgin olive oil) with chicken, cheese or egg, and vegetables, yogurt, fruit, and milk.  All of the products have to be Hellenic (except banana) and produced exclusively with virgin olive oil.  No foods can have preservatives, artificial colors, flavor enhancers, or synthetic sweeteners.  The meal meets around 21-33 percent total calorie needs of child.  Have to meet the packaging guidelines provided by law and the information and logos provided by Prolepsis (logos of Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Prolepsis Institute, and DIATROFI Program on products packaging), with short nutritional messages.  Each meals costs around 1.40 to 1.60 euros to produce.

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School Hot Lunch Meal Pilot Program The School Hot Lunch Meal Program aims to provide one warm meal per day to all students in primary public schools in areas with low socioeconomic indices (mainly low income and employment rates).

The Program is an initiative of the Alternate Minister of Social Solidarity of the Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance, and Social Solidarity. Launched in February 2016 as a pilot in 18 public schools in the Prefecture of Attica, the program serves 3,500 hot meals per day. Financing for the program was raised through crowd funding on a platform developed by the National Bank of Greece. No other state or EU funds were available.

Funding was used to cover the cost of the meals. The meals were prepared by three catering businesses (operating as social entrepreneurs) at their kitchens and transferred to each school daily, where they were distributed to the students. The students consumed the meal in the classroom during a 30 minute break towards the end of the school day.

The meals were organized in a monthly menu designed and supervised by dieticians of the Agricultural University of Athens according to the model of the Mediterranean Diet and the guidelines of the international bodies for healthy eating. Seasonality, locality, recipes, and practical issues raised by the caterers were addressed whenever possible. The caterers operated their kitchens and distribution procedures under the supervision of the Food Hygiene Lab of the Agricultural University of Athens.

Program evaluation occurred at the end of the school year. It was positive and suggested that school meals are an acceptable and welcoming intervention that help to support adequate and healthy food intake in children and reduce the number of meals that need to be covered by household food stores that are already stretched to the breaking point.

The program is now expanding to include cities in mainland Greece. Recently, the Prime Minister announced that, starting January 2017, the program will grow to provide 30,000 lunches to school children in Thessaloniki.

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Consumer Choice

The consumer choice model of food aid has a complicated history in Greece. As the economic crisis hit Greece, the Ministry of Social Solidarity launched a program that was similar to SNAP benefits in the U.S. This included the issuing of the Solidarity Card, an EBT card, which allowed monthly food purchases. The Ministry issued 80,035 cards and the monthly amount provided was at least 70 euro, depending on the size of the family. This program is scheduled to end in January 2017 as funding is no longer approved by the EU, and it will now be substituted by the FEAD food allowance project.

An example of another consumer-choice model is Solidarity Piraeus. Established in 2012, this membership organization has established a barter system that engages an alternative currency. Currently, there is a 250-member capacity (900 applicants). Members are volunteers and beneficiaries of services provided (mostly 35-50 years of age) and they reside in the Piraeus area. The group’s philosophy is to encourage people to get out of the house, get involved, contribute to help others, and help themselves. Each member contributes five euros/month, or one euro/month if unemployed, and volunteers four hours/week to receive 70 portos/month (paper currency with equivalencies in euros and redeemable for food and other services available through Solidarity Piraeus. The group also provides tutoring for children, clothing for the migrant community, and prepared meals for the homeless.

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Table 2. Assets, Challenges, and Opportunities

DIRECT FOOD RECLAMATION DIRECT FOOD AID CONSUMER PRODUCTION CHOICE Agriculture and urban FOOD BANK SALVAGE Industry FEAD School Meals Social grocery, Solidarity Card agriculture (ATHENS) (Boroume) (AB Soup Kitchens Solidarity Vassilopoulos) Piraeus - Increased interest in - Close relationships - Multi-sectoral - Industry and - Leverages -Reaches a broad -Flexibility in - Provides farming and value- with food industry partnerships and groceries benefit EU funding to sector of population form and style of autonomy in added production through SEVT networks through new tax support vulnerable to food organization accessing

- Some municipalities - Warehouse equipped - Good volunteer break and public multiple insecurity -Very dedicated benefits have access to land with cold storage engagement relations strategies in - Linked to other volunteers - Consumer - Agro-food activities - Efficient tracking - Good volunteer reducing food education and health and/or staff choice and could be boost for job data/inventory networks insecurity and concerns -Work closely retail focus

ASSETS creation and economic - MOUs establish - MOUs establish hunger -School feeding with community reduce waste development and transparency and transparency and programs were very residents buffer against hunger liability issues liability issues well received and food insecurity - Infrastructure needs - Restricted - Limited ability to - Tighter supply - EU rules - Expensive to run - Eligibility for -EU FEAD rules updating needed to membership partner with chains means limit how -Requires benefits varies do not allow for support farming/food - Although careful with groups outside “shrinkage” in funds can be government - Highly solidarity card

processing inventory and Athens amounts of food spent commitment dependent on - For solidarity - More training and tracking, their system - Fundraising available for - Funding - School feeding in food salvage groups, technical and financial not up to date - Evaluation donation levels are pilot phase; - Fundraising membership assistance to new - Limited staff and standards are less - Paperwork/bureau very low expansion requires - Limited limited by farmers and agro food volunteer rigorous (calorie cracy can delay - Limited food financial support coordination donations start ups - Limited space for vs. nutrition) donations or and variety Schools do not have between groups. CHALLENGES - Matching people/land, expansion - No capacity or deliveries not adequate kitchen facilities especially in urban - Primary focus on infrastructure to for long term -Requires settings. food industry actually handle health needs supervision, tracking, determines program food monitoring

- Potential to revive rural - Opportunity to expand beyond Athens area (e.g., networks, - Could coordinate with direct production includes - Solidary card economies and create satellite offices) produce, fruit, fish, etc., as well as value-added, packaged could be new enterprises - Potentially could find more efficiencies in “scaling up” with a goods developed for food aid. reinstated with - Urban agriculture can supply chain analysis and technology that optimizes inventory - With better infrastructure investment, greater amounts non-EU funds directly involve those in control, ordering, and distribution at a regional level of food and other products could be aggregated and - Could activate need as well as many processed local economies organizations. - Universal school meals can significantly reduce household food insecurity and is a highly effective outreach tool to OPPORTUNITIES assess other social support needs of families

III. Recommendations for a Sustainable Greek Food Aid System Over the past several years, government agencies, organizations, and individuals have responded to the urgent need for food aid resulting from the recent economic crisis. These programs were built on the foundation of pre-existing programs or started anew. The ensuing efforts range from national programs to very local projects, from efforts to utilize wasted food to programs to feed hungry children. As a result, food aid in Greece is a mosaic, an assemblage of efforts held together by a common concern that people are hungry and underfed. However, how the parts work together determines the resiliency of the overall effort. Our recommendations seek to address shared needs in order to strengthen the overall food aid system in Greece.

The following recommendations cover broad areas associated with capacity building. The recommendations are not in any order of importance but rather outline a range of scales and opportunities for improvement. While some of the structural changes require substantial investment and buy-in from government, we also highlight opportunities to start dialogue and invest in initial efforts that strengthen the overall sustainability of the existing system. All recommendations require ongoing discussion and development that should involve the Greek agencies and organizations providing food aid. The Rutgers team, as well as our involved colleagues from the Agricultural University of Athens, the American Farm School, and international food aid NGOs, are eager to be part of this dialogue and to assist through facilitation and technical advice, as appropriate. Table Three provides key considerations related to the different food aid types and outlines suggestions at the national, regional, and local level.

Strengthen the Food Aid Community

Many committed individuals and organizations have directed their time, energy, and resources to addressing the emergency food needs in Greece. While working on this report, we had the opportunity to learn about the various projects underway and hear proposals suggested by organization staff to improve their work. Many of the people we spoke with know about other organizations’ food aid programs, and there is some collaboration between organizations. However, we frequently heard concerns regarding the limited opportunities to network and learn from each other, as well as some perceptions of competition for funding and support. We heard organizations cite similar needs that might be served best collectively rather than on an organization-by-organization basis. As a snapshot of existing aid efforts, this report is a starting point to frame the shared concerns and needs of existing organizations. Distributing this report to the various organizations and agencies may serve as a catalyst to initiate discussion – clarifying, expanding, and generating additional perspectives and recommendations through critique and debate. Culture of Collaboration and Networking to Increase Capacity

There is a call for national, regional, and local networks that encourage peer-to-peer sharing of information, ideas, data, and resources. Through networking, organizations may identify shared needs and opportunities. There may be immediate things - refrigeration, trucks, sites of food aid delivery, etc. - that one organization could provide to another. There may also be economies of scale that enable different procurement models, such as sharing in the expense of trucking from regional sources. The network could

be a meeting place to coordinate education about food safety and nutrition concerns and a forum to discuss best practices.

Another outcome of this networking could be a shared registration and tracking system. Such a shared system would help improve the identification and registration of the most deprived individuals for FEAD food packages. It may also help serve those who are not eligible for FEAD support but in need. Given that most organizations provide a limited amount of food, some coordination of services could help families get food from multiple sources. This network could expand to identify other services - housing, clothing, tutoring, etc. – that struggling families may need.

 Recommendation: Convene a series of food aid workshops in Greece to discuss this report and other issues of shared interest.  Recommendation: Encourage opportunities d frame food aid at a regional scale to encourage multi-organization networking and partnership.

Opening the Door for Volunteers

A shared need in the food aid community is supporting a culture of volunteerism. The Greek food aid system – from the Food Bank and Boroume down to solidarity groups – depends on unpaid volunteers as an essential workforce. Yet significant impediments, both institutional and cultural in nature, remain to potentially discourage volunteerism. Some of this is structural and has to do with the legal framework for civil society organizations, liability concerns, and national registries. However, rates of volunteerism in Greece have risen since the economic crisis, particularly among Greeks in their 20s and 30s. A focused, deliberate, and sustained effort to celebrate these changes and build on them could help to “lock in” a new “culture of volunteerism” in Greece. One result could be a significant source of labor for food aid NGOs, as well as donations of money and food for years to come.

Another avenue for volunteerism is to engage the corporate and educational sectors. Such practices support group volunteer activities – assembly-line production to package food aid, gleaning a field, etc. – that garner public attention and fast work for food aid programs. Many multinational organizations already have policies to support corporate-sponsored volunteerism that may not be applied to their businesses working in Greece. University students are another potential resource and offer the opportunity to combine service with education about hunger, nutrition, and civic responsibility.

 Recommendation: Encourage a campaign for volunteerism with a particular focus on food aid. Work with major corporations and universities to promote sponsored volunteer events and activities.

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Production Opportunities Linked to Food Aid

Currently, the food aid model relies on donations of food and purchase (through EU funds or financial donations). Capturing food waste and redirecting it into the emergency food system has been a very effective means to fill food bank and social grocery shelves, as well as provide ingredients for soup kitchen meals. This method, however, is vulnerable to diminishing supply as industry becomes more efficient and there is less waste. Donations by the food industry of near-expiration date food products or products with faulty packaging has been a critical element in food aid, but this practice limits the ability to plan well-rounded meals that address nutritional needs. By focusing on production-side opportunities, not only can the amount of food be increased, but it can also be tied to expanding fresh, healthy options and job creation opportunities. Engaging with Agriculture

Engaging the agricultural sector of Greece could bolster the resiliency of food aid programs by enabling another channel of supply beyond the food industry and injecting a new source for fresh fruits and vegetables into the supply stream for food aid. Such an approach would, of course, face the same challenges that the current model has had to overcome, in particular food perishability and safety. In addition, given that many farmers are also struggling economically, their involvement in food aid would likely require purchase or national programs related to surplus. Yet even with these challenges, the benefits of successfully engaging agriculture in food aid far outweigh the costs of trying.

Policies and practices could serve to support domestic procurement in large-scale food aid efforts. Currently, EU FEAD requirements make it very difficult for Greek farmers and producers to supply the food included in food aid packages. It behooves us to interrogate this issue more fully and to advocate for domestic procurement. Likewise, development of a school meal program could also favor domestic procurement of fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. Further discussion with key ministries is necessary to advance a mutually beneficial approach to food aid that supports Greek agriculture.

Fostering opportunities for farmers and producers to provide unmarketable products is another potential supply opportunity. Often, farmers have leftover goods that do not meet size or appearance standards, but the labor of harvesting and packaging is a disincentive for donation. Developing local and regional gleaning programs could accommodate farmers’ needs for labor and safe handling. Such gleaning programs may coordinate with efforts to encourage corporate volunteer programs.

Greek farmers’ markets provide direct connections between producers and consumers. There may be ways to support efficient collection of unsold produce (donated or at reduced prices) from farmers’ markets and other direct-to-consumer channels. Vouchers or “farm bucks” programs could enable those in need to “buy” directly from farmers, with the money subsidized partially or fully by other sources.

 Recommendation: Engage in further discussion with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Social Solidarity, and others regarding opportunities to link food aid with rural and agricultural development.  Recommendation: Explore the potential for gleaning programs that serve farmers, food aid organizations, and consumer needs.  Recommendation: Explore collection and voucher programs at farmers’ markets.

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Support Urban Agriculture

As a part of the emergency food system, urban agriculture not only provides direct access to nutritious fruits and vegetables, but also engages people directly in building their own capacity. Urban agriculture is not intended to replace supplies from rural agriculture, which is much more efficient in terms of yields. Rather, urban agriculture is a social, educational, and engagement resource that could be an important nutritional supplement to other food aid programs. Various models could be encouraged, including cooperative urban farms, community gardens, rooftop gardens, and institutional farms/gardens. Particularly given Greece’s warm-weather climate, urban agriculture has great potential, which at present is completely untapped.

Urban agriculture requires planning and appropriate supports to assure its success. Given the time and labor involved in gardening and farming, participants need to be assured that it is worth it - that there will be good harvests. Clear rules must address safety, communication between gardeners, and trust. Access to arable land can be supported through land banks or land trusts that provide the legal framework for land tenure. Although skilled gardeners can teach each other, access to technical assistance is important to increase yields and avoid crop failures. Many of the model programs in the US, Europe, and Australia have an NGO or municipal agency that establishes policies, addresses legal and organizational concerns, and provides educational and technical support.

Urban residents may augment their food needs through household gardening on patios and rooftops. With proper guidance a small garden may provide herbs, fresh greens, and other items that augment what is provided in food aid packages and social groceries. Recent technological advances in light-weight soils and rooftop garden modules open possibilities that align with Greek urban development patterns.

 Recommendation: Encourage development of policies and programs that support urban agriculture at the national, regional, and municipal levels.  Recommendation: Investigate the development of regional land trust or land banks to link those who want to start food aid-related farming with undeveloped, arable land.  Recommendation: Encourage research and demonstration projects related to rooftop gardens, community gardening, and urban agriculture.

Food Reclamation Throughout Greece

With the Food Bank of Athens and Boroume currently well-established in the Athens area, the greatest opportunities to develop and expand food reclamation may lie in other parts of Greece. These efforts need not bypass or sideline what is already working, but can grow and evolve based on current models. The Food Bank of Athens has established a strong relationship with SEVT, whose industries tend to be focused in the Athens area, while the Food Bank of Thessaloniki links to that region’s industries. Data remains to be gathered as to other regional producers not yet networked into the two food banks. Boroume has had remarkable success in Athens and has established some connections with other regions in order to bring food into Athens. The next step is to consider how food reclamation might work in parts of Greece without Athens’ unique concentration of population and industry. If food reclamation groups with Boroume’s nimbleness and the Food Bank of Athens’ “staying power” could be introduced in small cities around Greece, the impact on food insecurity could be significant. Critical to this effort is to develop a 37 shared database and communication structure that avoids competition for the same funders and industrial donations.

International donations are another untapped opportunity. A proposal is currently being developed by FairShare Greece, a new UK-based NGO. It remains to be seen how this program unfolds and addresses food offerings, nutritional content, transportation mechanisms, and distribution.

 Recommendation: Explore capacity to expand food reclamation efforts in other regions of Greece. This may involve satellite offices of existing organizations or development of new organizations.  Recommendation: Explore international food industry donations that may complement domestic efforts.

Scaling Up Direct Aid

The diversity of direct aid efforts enables groups to reach into many communities in need. While effective at distributing aid, the local and small nature of many of these endeavors makes acquiring and transporting food a challenge. Many direct aid efforts would benefit from networking, sharing resources, and providing education about food safety and nutrition, as previously discussed. Basic infrastructure – a refrigerator, a van, etc. – may be needed by individual projects, suggesting the opportunity to survey groups’ basic needs in initial workshops. Our focus here, however, is to consider how to scale-up resources to serve more individuals in need and facilitate a range of organizations. Two key areas of opportunity are working with the schools and developing commissaries to process meals. School Meals

Providing nutritious school meals to Greek children would represent a sea change in national food aid policy, potentially resulting in a wide range of beneficial outcomes, including: 1) improved health of students and subsequent changes to life and educational trajectories; 2) support for healthy-eating habits in the next generation of Greek citizens; 3) service to a cross sector of the population, thereby relieving pressure on other food aid organizations; and 4) creation of synergistic opportunities for Greek food entrepreneurs and domestic food producers and manufacturers. These outcomes are all illustrated in the recent pilot school meal and snack programs profiled in this report. Though small in size, these programs demonstrated that fully realized school-based food aid on a national or even regional scale would have enormous impact.

The nutritional integrity of school meals is a central consideration. Involving public health experts is crucial to ensuring that meals for students are nutritious and filling. Without good nutrition, the most important goals of this kind of program will not be realized.

Any enlargement of school-based food aid should incorporate from the start a process for data-gathering and program evaluation. In addition to aiding understanding about public health impacts, such evidence- based evaluation could also look at ancillary consequences such as: 1) jobs created through school meals programs; 2) economic opportunities afforded to food entrepreneurs; 3) economic relief for families of not having to provide a meal themselves; and various other benefits.

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 Recommendation: Encourage a multi-year, multi-stakeholder planning effort to determine the appropriate next steps for school-based food aid.  Recommendation: If government ministries take the lead on school meals, consider supportive efforts in nutrition education and outreach.

Central Kitchen and Commissaries

Centralizing food procurement and meal preparation would greatly improve food aid access, particularly in urban areas that have concentrations of need and existing aid programs with direct connections to individuals in need. Rather than duplicating the process of food preparation – often in inadequate facilities or involving the expense of separate vendors – we believe it a worthwhile endeavor to investigate the potential of central kitchens or commissaries serving multiple organizations.

Central kitchens would also serve the school meal programs. Currently, virtually no Greek schools have on- site food preparation facilities beyond warming areas and short-term refrigeration. Therefore, it is our view that the future of school aid would need to include school-meal focused commissary kitchens where food processing and meal production are centralized. If efforts are to scale up, particularly in the context of school meals, centralized kitchens or commissaries will be essential to provide the quantity and quality desired. The development of centralized kitchens is also an opportunity for socially responsible entrepreneurial development. It is business creation that also serves economic development goals.

 Recommendation: Investigate the potential business model for for-profit or non-profit central kitchens or commissaries. This may involve engaging with socially responsible businesses and collaborating with the food industry network.

Engage Those Being Served

Strongly essential to the success of all the recommendations noted is the need to understand more about who needs food aid and how to best serve their needs so that it is no longer an emergency issue. Although this study delved into the organizations providing food aid, there is still very limited information on those being served – their needs, strategies for aid, preferences, etc. A case in point is the sense that many people preferred consumer choice or voucher programs because it allowed individuals to maintain some dignity by continuing to shop at retail stores and select their own goods. While the national program ended due to EU regulations, there are some local models that could be investigated further.

Equally important is increased understanding of unmet need, or who is not receiving aid but needs it. Currently, income is the main criteria to determine eligibility for FEAD food packages, however there may be qualitative aspects to food insecurity unique to Greek households (i.e. households without electricity to safely store or cook food, familial connections between urban households and agricultural land in rural areas, etc.) To date, this information is anecdotal and therefore difficult to build programs around.

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Understand the Need

We recommend ongoing research on household food insecurity in Greece. Ideally, there should be a national survey of food insecurity within households to provide a baseline of information that could then be enhanced through focus groups and more in-depth approaches. An alternative approach would be to focus on vulnerable populations – children, pregnant women, elderly, disabled, etc.

 Recommendation: Engage Greek universities and research NGOs in research on household food insecurity, perhaps focusing on the most vulnerable populations

Nutrition as an Integral Part of Food Aid

Necessary for survival, food is also integral to Greek culture and social life. In the context of food insecurity, awareness of need is also an opportunity to reinforce a message of health. The traditional Greek diet provides a valuable starting point for ongoing support of healthy eating. Potential avenues to engage the public in discussion of nutrition might include investigative reporting, press releases, and regional conferences. Linking a nutrition campaign with a school meal program expands the potential reach into many Greek households.

 Recommendation: Advocate for a national campaign to raise awareness about the connection between food aid and overall nutrition.  Recommendation: Encourage a nutrition education program that aligns with and complements existing food aid programs, such as providing information sheets about how to cook healthy meals on a budget or creative ways to make healthy meals with food provided in FEAD packages, social groceries, etc.

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Table 3: Key Recommendations for Improving the Food Aid System in Greece DIRECT PRODUCTION FOOD RECLAMATION DIRECT FOOD AID CONSUMER CHOICE Agriculture and urban FOOD BANK SALVAGE Industry FEAD School Meals Social grocery, Solidarity Card / agriculture Soup Kitchens Vouchers Agriculture needs to be Nearly all food aid providers are partially FEAD policy is School meals Support range of Efforts underway to engaged in the food security dependent on donations received through industry. established by reach a critical direct aid encourage EU to discussion: procurement, As inventory/supplies are managed more closely, the European sector of the options. reconsider solidary card gleaning, farmers’ markets, the amount of surplus goods available for donation Union. population; school Encourage option. etc. has declined. Success requires a well-developed Advocate for provide a site to networking and Alternative currencies

Urban food production can be network of partners. Greek interests register families sharing of and barter are part of supported through new and Encouraging a network amongst organizations will to be reflected in for aid and resources an international existing institutions, land assist in communication and coordination. FEAD policies. provide nutrition Consider central movement to “localize” access, and technical support. education. kitchens for trade. Consider central meals kitchen. - Work with Ministries of - Encourage - Consider Encourage Assist in Support expansion Consider separate, Agriculture, Social Solidarity, satellite & regional “culture of registration of of pilot projects private fund to support and Rural Development & networked satellite offices volunteerism” those in need Encourage voucher program.

Food to link rural and efforts to support among through public ongoing agricultural development - Promote individual corporations campaign collaborations with food aid international organizations and industry with universities - Expand technical assistance food and/or and researchers National in agriculture, rooftop industry networked related to gardening, community donations efforts nutrition and gardening, etc. safety

- Explore potential for land Encourage connections with agriculture; access to Explore potential for food hubs, trust and land banks to make perishable goods commissaries, and central kitchens for land available to possible Encourage regional networking that encourages food processing and meal production at farmers, NGOs interested in cooperation and coordination of funding and larger scale urban agriculture, etc. industrial donation distribution.

Regional

- Encourage cooperative farms - Encourage culture of volunteerism in all sectors of food aid Material needs and community gardens. - Share data bases and inventories (refrigeration, - Engage universities and trucks, etc.) others in technical assistance. Technical

Local assistance in nutrition, food safety.

Next Steps

We conclude this report with conviction that Greece has the potential to be a model for a sustainable food aid system. Along with the daunting prospect of a “new normal” that requires ongoing provision of food aid, there is also a promising foundation of programs actively seeking food sources and distributing food to those in need. This report has provided a lens to identify the efforts of various stakeholder groups – government, civil society, and private sector – in order to understand their approach, capacity, challenges, and needs. By framing this emerging understanding of Greek emergency food aid in light of international models and current discourse on best practices, we see opportunities to support multi-sectoral collaboration that will increase overall system resiliency and reach.

The research team feels strongly that the next step in this process is to engage key food-aid organization leadership, advocates, and educators in a dialogue to shape a shared vision and support an emerging collaborative culture. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is uniquely positioned to enable this important step through distribution of this report and consequent invited workshop or focus groups in Greece. Many of the international experts consulted as part of this research project, after learning more about the Greek context, voiced their enthusiasm to stay involved, engage in dialogue with Greek organizations, and provide technical assistance, as appropriate.

Prefacing or concurrent to this effort, we propose further study of the agriculture and agro-food sectors’ capacity to become part of the food aid system. This effort potentially intersects with the ongoing Recharging the Youth / New Agriculture for a New Generation project. Proposals included in this report, such as centralized kitchens and commissaries to serve school meal programs and regional food hubs, may simultaneously address food aid as well as job development and enterprise creation.

The research team unanimously agrees that this opportunity to investigate Greek food aid and imagine its potential has left us all eager to stay involved and help in the evolution of a sustainable food aid system for Greece. It has been a pleasure to work on this project. We have benefited from the openness of Greek participants and have shared in their passion to address current need and move Greece forward out of a “crisis” way of thinking and into sustainable practices. This project has enabled us to forge new relationships and new ways of thinking. We look forward to the prospect of ongoing engagement.

Thank you.

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Chan, M. (2014). Food safety must accompany food and nutrition security. Retrieved December 6, 2016, from http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/nutrition/Lancetfoodsafety_nov2014.pdf?ua=1 Ecorys Nederland BV. (2006). Study on strategic evaluation on transport investment priorities under structural and cohesion funds for the programming period 2007-2013. Netherlands. European Commission. (2016a). Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1089 European Commission. (2016b). Summary of the annual implementation reports for the operational programmes co-financed by the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived in 2014 (pp. 7). Brussels: European Commission. FareShare UK. (2016). FareShare: fighting hunger, tackling waste. Retrieved September 29, 2016, from http://www.fareshare.org.uk/about-us/ Federation of European Food Banks. (2016). Retrieved September 10, 2016, from http://www.eurofoodbank.org/ Flodmark, C., Marcus, C., and Britton, M. (2006). Interventions to prevent obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Obesity, 30, 579-589. Hale, D., Bevilacqua, L., and Viner, R. (2015). Adolescent health and adult education and employment: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 136(1), 128-140. Hardy, J., Hamm, Ml, Pirog, R., Fisk, J., Farbman, J., Fischer, M. (2016) 2015 National Food Hub Survey. Retrieved January 3, 2017 from http://foodsystems.msu.edu/resources/2015-food-hub-survey. JoinCargo. (2016). What is JoinCargo. Retrieved December 6, 2016, from http://www.joincargo.com/en Joint Research Centre. (2014). School Food and Nutrition in Europe: polocies, interventions and their impact. Ispra, Italy: European Commission. Jomaa, L., McDonnell, E., and Porbart, C. (2011). School feeding programs in developing countries: impacts on children's health and educational outcomes. Nutrition Reviews, 69, 83-98. Meridiean Institute. (2015). Global sustatainable food and agriculture: A philanthropic landscape assessment. In Global Alliance for the Future of Food (Ed.). Petralias, A., Papadimitriou, E., Riza, E., Karagas, M., Zagouras, A., and Linos, A. (2016). The impact of a school food aid program on household food insecurity. The European Journal of Public Health Advance, 26(2), 290-296. Ronson, D., and Caraher, M. (2016). Food Banks: Big society or shunting yards? Successful failures Food Poverty and Insecurity: International Food Inequalities (pp. 79-88). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. Roussos, S. (2015, April 1). New Paradigm for Greek Society? Arena, 7-8. Saul, N. (2013). The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement. New York: Melville House Publishing. Sotiropoulos, D., and Bourikos, D. (2014). Economic crisis, social solidarity and the voluntary sector in Greece. Journal of Power, Politics and Governance, 2(2), 33-53. Starvos Niarchos Foundation. (2015). News and Grants, Fall-Winter 2014-2015.

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Trading Economics. (2016). Greece Living Wage Family. Retrieved Septeber 21, 2016, from http://www.tradingeconomics.com/greece/living-wage-family UNICEF. (2014). The situation of children in Greece, 2014: The impact of the economic crisis on children. Athens: Hellenic National Committee for UNICEF. Volunteering in the European Union. Educational, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency report (2010). Availble at http://ec.europa.edu/citizenship/pdf/doc1018_en.pdf. accessed on January 9, 2017. Winnie, M. (2008). Closing the food gap: resetting the table in the land of plenty. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. World Food Programme. (2013). State of school feeding worldwide. Rome, Italy: World Food Programme. World Health Organization. (2016). Nutrition and Food Security. Retrieved December 6, 2016, from http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/nutrition/en/ Zota, D., Dalma, A., Petralias, A., Lykou, A., Kastorini, C., Yannakoulia, M., Karnaki, P., et al. (2016). Promotion of healthy nutrition among students participating in a school food aid program: a randomized trial. International Journal of Public Health, 61(5), 583-592.

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Appendix A. Semi-structured Interview Questions

Name: ______

Organization: ______

Role/Position Title: ______

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed!

Due to the economic crisis in Greece, an unprecedented number of families are struggling to address hunger and food insecurity. In response, there has been a rise in social programs to assist families and improve the emergency food system in Greece. Our team is initiating a study to understand the magnitude and trends of the food aid problem in Greece, to assess the effectiveness of these social programs vis-à-vis the needs, and propose potential, impactful interventions.

The food insecurity study is a 4-month project that involves fieldwork in Athens and possibly Thessaloniki to interview organization staff, administrators, and others, as well as visit some key sites like foodbanks and community –based programs. On this trip, we are interviewing key organizations in Athens to learn about existing programs and gain perspective on what people experts like yourself see as opportunities to improve food access. We will also look at international models for insights into various strategies to address emergency food planning and delivery. Our hope is to engage multiple experts in the areas of public health, nutrition, community and non-profit organizations, and related fields so that our report is appropriately broad and interdisciplinary to address the needs in Greece.

We hope this is an ongoing conversation. We want to limit our questions for now. However, we may send your organization an additional survey with more specific information as needed after today’s interview.

First, we want to ask you some questions about your organization’s work. Please keep in mind that not all questions may be relevant to your organization. Any information that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Background Information – About Your Organization

1. Was providing food to those in need always a part of your organization’s mission? If not, when did your food aid programs begin?

Collaboration/ Partnerships

2. What organization, or kind of organization, would you most like to partner with, to address food insecurity in Greece?

3. Are there others groups that you think would be a valuable partner in your work and if so, why?

Advocacy

4. Are there any challenges and/or barriers your organization has faced now or in the past? If yes, are they frequent or infrequent occurrences? Please explain.

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Possible examples: quantity and consistency of food donations/access, technology [e.g., computer, Internet access] transportation, food storage, labor, volunteers, external restrictions [e.g., regulations], funding, etc.

5. What obstacles prevent your organization from doing an even better job in terms of meeting client’s needs for food? (e.g., government regulations, lack of freezers, limited volunteers for staffing, overwhelming need for services, lack of food)

6. If financial resources were not a concern in addressing hunger and food insecurity, what are some programs that could be incredibly effective, besides just buying food for everyone?

Systems and Policy

Now, we would like to learn about the larger food system and food access in Greece:

7. What is the nature of food insecurity in Greece and how has it changed over the recent years?

8. What kind of food aid do you find most useful for the Greek people? For example, perishable, non- perishable, prepared meals, or cash money for shopping. Where are the gaps in what is currently provided?

9. What are the largest resources and greatest strengths that Greek society currently has for addressing the hunger crisis? These can be economic, social, religious, geographic, or any kind of resources that you think can be major assets for organizations trying to solve this problem.

10. Would like to thank you for taking the time today in answering questions for us. Do you have any other thoughts or idea that you would like to share with us about the Greek economy crisis and its impact on food security?

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Appendix B: Greek Interviews and Site Visits VISIT CONTACT DATE Government Officials (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address Region of Attica, 15-17 9/1 Katerina (30)213-206- [email protected] Syngrou Ave., 117 43 Athens

@3pm Prefecture of Athens Thanopoulou 3677 r - Greece

9/2 (30)210-720- [email protected] 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue,

@5pm US Embassy Lida Dimitriou 2317 v 10160 Athens, Greece

(30)210- 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue,

Elena Alexaki 7202359 [email protected] 10160 Athens, Greece 9/2 Vice Mayer for Social (30)210- [email protected] Agiou Konstantinou 14, 8th

@1pm Solidarity Maria Stratigaki 5210607 r floor, Athens 9/1 Minister for Social Minister Theano Stadiou 27 and @3pm Solidarity Foutiou Dragatsaniou, Athens 8/29 Advisor to Ministry of Charalambos

@3pm Agriculture Kasimis [email protected]

VISIT CONTACT DATE Food Banks (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 9/1 (30)210-622-

@9:30am Food Bank of Athens Nentas Dimitris 0025 [email protected] 124, Krioneriou Ave Phone (44) 777- efi.georgiadou@fares

interview FareShare Greece Efi Georgiadou 5784310 haregreece.com Konstantinos Mobile: Palaiologou 67 Stavroupoli, 11/28 Food Bank of Thessaloniki Karakatsanis 6972242571 Thessaloniki

VISIT CONTACT DATE Food Industry (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 81, Spaton Avenue, Gerakas 8/31 AB Vassilopoulos (30)210-660- - Attiki, PO Box 60011-15310

@12pm Supermarket Alexia Macheras 8483 [email protected] Ag., Paraskevi - Greece Evangelos 9/1 @ Association of Food Kaloussis (30)210-671- 340 Kifissias Av, 15451 Neo

12pm Industry Companies/SEVT (President) 1177 [email protected] Psychico Vasso Papadimitriou (Director

General) [email protected]

VISIT CONTACT DATE Food Reclamation (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 8/30 Alexander (30)210-323- 2, Kairi str., GR-105 51,

@9:30am Boroume (NGO) Theodoridis 7805 [email protected] Athens - Greece

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VISIT CONTACT DATE School Meals (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 8/31 (30)210-625- 7, Fragoklisias str., 151 25,

@10am Prolepsis (NGO) Dr. Athena Linos 5700 [email protected] Marousi, Athens-Greece Afroditi (30)210-625- a.veloudaki@prolepsis

Veloudaki 5700 .gr Alexandros (30)210-625- [email protected]

Gryparis 5700, x112 r Anna-Maria (30)210-619- [email protected]

Haviaris 6683-dir r

VISIT CONTACT DATE (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address Church - Led Soup Kitchens Chiou-Kritis and 33 Psaron, 11/2 @ Athens, (near Larissis 11:30am Agios Pavlos Father Kastanas 2104319830 Station)

Community - Led Solidarity Groups (Soup VISIT kitchen and Social CONTACT DATE grocery) (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 10/31 @ [email protected]

2:30pm Plision Pavlos Korovessis 6977663348 m 14 Armodiou, Athens 11/1 @ Allos Anthropos (other Konstantinos oallosauthropos@gma Office location: 55 Plataion

3pm human being) Polixronopoulos 6940882355 il.com and Paramythias st 0030 211 2105782; 0030 210 solidaritypiraas@gmai

4123952 ; l.com 10/31 @ Solidarity Piraeus (Social Cell: 6972- 12pm Grocery - Membership) Kostas Karras 550051 49 Evripidou st., Piraeus

Government-Community collaborations of Soup VISIT kitchens and Social CONTACT DATE groceries (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address Cell: 697-406- 11/4 @ Municipality of 6288; pateli1975@yaho

~12 Metamorfosi Ms. Pateli 2102845008 o.gr 21 Korinthou, Metamorfosi 2132123105, antidkoint@acharnes. 2132072468, gr; personal email: 11/4 @ 6978025305, esahsanigou@hotmail

10am Municipality of Acharnes Ms. Sachsanidou 6936146772 .com Ippaion and 1 Meg.Vasileiou 0030 210 771176; 0030 210 10/31 @ Panagiotis 5757209; 0030

10am Peristeri Social Grocery Margaronis 210 5730096 [email protected] 1, Lakonias st, Peristeri Ms. 2106546342, 69 11/2 @ Municipality of Agia Manolopoulou/ 46115162 / koinoniki@agiaparask 17 28th Oktovriou, Agia

3pm Paraskevi Ms. Kanellou 6937483121 evi.gr Paraskevi 11/3 @ Chyrssa Mobile: 0030 [email protected] ; 70 Sofokleous and 35 Pireos

4pm KYADA Giannopoulou 6973 65 27 01 [email protected] St, 10552 Athens 48

Church-Government collaborations of Soup VISIT kitchens and Social CONTACT DATE groceries (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address Cell: 698-446- 8386; 0030 213 0184400 or 11/4 @ 0030 210 foodbankagis@mkoap

4pm Kallithea Social Grocery Stella Paziou 9403902 ostoli.gr 9A Agisilaou st., Kallithea

VISIT CONTACT DATE Urban Agriculture (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 11/1 Anna GPS coordinates: 37.981769,

@11am Boroume Cambouropoulou 210 3237805 [email protected] 23.994522

VISIT CONTACT DATE Other NGOs (Name) PHONE # Contact Email Address Mailing Address 8/31 Apostoli (Holy of Vasileios 8, Iras and Despos Sechou

@2pm Archdiocese of Athens) Meichanetsidis (30)2130184446 [email protected] Str, 11743 Neos Kosmos 8/30 (30)210-331- stergiossifnios@sos- 12-14, Kar. Servias str.,

@12pm SOS Children's Village Stergios Sifnios 3661, x108 villages.gr Athens 105 62, Greece

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Appendix C: Map of Case Study Locations

Key 1 AB Vassilopoulos Supermarket 12 Municipality Of Athens, Vice Mayer For Social 2 Agricultural University Of Athens Solidarity 3 Boroume (main office) 13 Agios Pavlos, Near The Central Train Station 4 Food Bank - Greece (Larissis) 5 Prolepsis - Institute Of Preventive Medicine, 14 Plision Environmental & Occupational Health 15 Allos Anthropos (Other Human Being) 6 Prefecture Of Athens 16 Solidarity Piraeus (Social Grocery - Membership) 7 SEVT - Federation Of Hellenic Food Industries 17 Municipality Of Metamorfosi 8 Stavros Niarchos Foundation 18 Municipality Of Acharnes 9 SOS Children'S Villages 19 Kallithea Social Grocery 10 U.S. Embassy Athens 20 Peristeri Social Grocery 11 Apostoli (Holy Archdiocese Of Athens) 21 Municipality Of Agia Paraskevi 22 KYADA 23 Boroume (field off-site)

Appendix D. Rutgers Greek Food Aid and Food Security Workshop Attendees Rutgers Workshop Attendees Name Title Organization Maria Kapsokefalou Professor of Nutrition and Rector Agricultural University of Athens Chip Palliex President and Founder America's Grow-A-Row Julie Rusin Intern America's Grow-A-Row Martin Caraher Professor of Food and Health Policy City University, London (via Skype) Elijah's Promise (New Brunswick, Jim Zullo Executive Director New Jersey) Kristina Guttadora Executive Director Farmers Against Hunger Justin Block Senior Manager, Retail Information Services Feeding America Kim Prendergast Nutrition Consultant Feeding America Jeff Mills Founder and CEO Genuine Foods Chris Rebstock Senior Vice President Global Food Bank Network New Brunswick Family Success Julie Jerome Community Partnerships Coordinator Center and PRAB (project manager) Beth Feehan Farm to School Program Coordinator NJ Department of Agriculture Rutgers Business School of Newark Kevin Lyons Associate Professor of Professional Practice and New Brunswick Director, NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Kenneth Karamichael Education Rutgers University Executive Dean of School of Environmental and Bob Goodman Biological Sciences Rutgers University Dean of Agricultural and Urban Programs, Chair Laura Lawson of the Department of Landscape Architecture Rutgers University Assistant Director of Research Technology, Lucas Marxen School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Rutgers University Associate Research Professor, Department of Cara Cuite Human Ecology Rutgers University Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ethan Schoolman Ecology Rutgers University Virginia Quick Assistant Research Professor Rutgers University Professor and Extension Specialist, Department Carol Byrd-Bredbenner of Nutritional Sciences Rutgers University Extension Specialist in Health Promotion and Nurgul Fitzgerald Behavior, Department of Nutritional Sciences Rutgers University Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Salome Papaspyrou Rao Sciences Rutgers University Research Associate, Office of Agriculture and Meredith Taylor Urban Programs Rutgers University

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Appendix E. List of Tours and Meetings During the Week of the Workshop

Meetings and Tours Name Title Organization Chip Palliex President and Founder America's Grow-A-Row Jim Zullo Executive Director Elijah's Promise Hillside Community Food Tim Vogel Director of Food Sourcing Bank of New Jersey Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative New Brunswick Community Lauren Errickson Extension Farmers Market New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition and Education Program (SNAP-Ed) and Expanded Food and Susan Stephenson-Martin Senior Program Coordinator Central Jersey Region Nutrition Program (EFNEP) Dwayne Curry Sr. Project Administrator New Jersey SNAP-Ed/EFNEP Office Campus Living and Director, Office of Campus Living and Community Community Partnerships, Kerri Willson Partnerships Rutgers Food Pantry Kristen Bussenger Director of Business Development Revolution Foods Amanda Bialek Rutgers Against Hunger Coordinator Rutgers University Synder Research and Extension Farm, Rutgers Center for Sustainable John Grande Director Agriculture

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