The Importance of Social Canteens in the Portuguese Emergency Food Program: a Case Study of the Holy Houses of Mercy1
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Artigo submetido a 11de Novembro de 2018; versão final aceite a 24 de Setembro de 2019 Paper submitted on November 11, 2018; final version acceptet on September 24, 2019 The Importance of Social Canteens in the Portuguese Emergency Food Program: A Case Study of the Holy Houses of Mercy1 A Importância das Cantinas Sociais no Programa de Emergência Alimentar em Portugal – O Estudo de Caso das Misericórdias Portuguesas Maria Cristina Moreira [email protected] Dept Economics. University of Minho, Braga - Portugal Ana Fernandes [email protected] Master on Social Economics, University of Minho Paulo Mourão [email protected] Dept Economics. University of Minho, Braga – Portugal Abstract/ Resumo The Portuguese social canteens are a social As cantinas sociais portuguesas constituiram response to fight the extreme poverty and social uma resposta social para combater a extrema po- exclusion in Portugal. The Solidarity Network breza e exclusão social em Portugal. A Rede So- of Social Canteens was created under the Por- lidária de Cantinas Sociais foi criada no âmbito tuguese Emergency Nutritional Program in do Programa Nutricional de Emergência Portu- 2012 to ensure individuals and/or families in guês em 2012 para garantir que indivíduos e / ou need have access to free meals. This study aims famílias necessitadas tivessem acesso a refeições to assess the contribution of the Social Can- gratuitas. Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar teens managed by the Portuguese Holy Houses of Mercy in implementing the Emergency Nu- a contribuição das Cantinas Sociais geridas pelas Santas Casas da Misericórdia de Portugal na im- tritional Program (particularly in a sample com- posed of the Holy Houses of Mercy in Northern plementação do Programa Nutricional de Emer- gência (particularmente numa amostra composta Portugal). Therefore, we developed a detailed (descriptive and content) analysis upon a sur- pelas Misericórdias do Norte de Portugal). A vey responded by these institutions. Most of the maioria das instituições pesquisadas revelou um surveyed institutions revealed a significant in- aumento significativo no número de refeições crease in the number of daily provided meals diárias fornecidas (um aumento de 300 refeições (an increase of 300 meals per year since 2012). por ano desde 2012). Apesar desse aumento e da Despite this increase and the discussion of discussão de outros indicadores obtidos, as Can- other obtained indicators, the Social Canteens tinas Sociais também identificam diversas críti- 1 The Authors acknowledge the suggestions provided by two anonymous reviewers on a previous version of this research. The Authors also acknowledge the comments provided by the participants at the Session of the Conference EspaNet (Oporto, September, 2019) in which a previous version of this research has been discussed. Remaining limitations are authors’ exclusive ones. Revista Portuguesa de Estudos Regionais, nº 55 also identify several criticisms in the linkages cas nos termos do Programa, especificamente of the Program, specifically within the follo- dentro dos três vetores: apoio governamental, in- wing three vectors: governmental support, in- terconexão entre instituições e regras do Progra- terconnection among institutions, and the rules ma. of the Program. Keywords: Poverty, Social Exclusion, Social Palavras-chave: Pobreza, Exclusão Social, Canteens, Santa Casa da Misericórdia, institu- Cantinas Sociais, Programa Nutricional de tions Emergência, Santa Casa da Misericórdia, insti- tuições JEL Code: A13; B55; H55 Código JEL: A13; B55; H55 1. INTRODUCTION social responses (namely, as extensions of the Holy Houses of Mercy), Social Canteens have The current economic and political conjunc- constituted the major agents in the development ture is producing changes in the organization of of the Emergency Nutritional Program. As a Portuguese households’ consumption, in partic- consequence, they are also the main representa- ular, food consumption. Since the crisis of 2008, tive members of the Solidarity Network. There- many Portuguese families began facing in- fore, we designed a survey to collect indicators creased (or new) economic difficulties, which of this platform and the main criticisms of these clearly represented a worsening of their living players to allow correction of these criticisms as conditions and well‐being. the Program evolves. Unemployment, low salaries, low old‐age The structure of this paper is as follows: Sec- pensions, and cuts in important benefits and so- tion 2 describes the Portuguese Social Canteens, cial grants are having repercussions further im- the Solidarity Network of Social Canteens, and poverishing those whose only source of income the Emergency Nutritional Program. Section 3 is their work or retirement funds, while poverty describes the methodological steps undertaken and social exclusion are assuming worrying di- in this study to distribute the survey to the social mensions. canteens of the Holy Houses of Mercy in North- Social canteens stand out in this situation as ern Portugal. Section 4 discusses the main re- an answer to a growing need, resulting from the sults and implications derived from the survey. current socio‐economic conjuncture. Therefore, Finally, Section 5 provides a conclusion. considering the maximization of existing re- sources, a Program of Food Emergency has 2. PORTUGUESE SOCIAL CAN- been created (also called the ‘Emergency Nutri- TEENS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST tional Program’), which consists of a free sup- POVERTY – SOME STATS OF THE ply of complete meals (bread, soup, main dish SURROUNDING PERIOD AND A RE- and fruit), seven days a week for household con- VIEW OF THE LITERATURE sumption. In this context, this work aims to determine Given the incidence of the Program in the the importance of the intervention of the Holy years after 2012, it is important to provide some Houses of Mercy (“Santas Casas da Misericór- details about the Portuguese economy in the pe- dia”)e France in theis the Emergency second biggest Nutritional EMU economy Program, riode France before is 2012 the second. According biggest to EMU the Report economy In- which was a part of the Solidarity Network of 2 and, as Finland, is not considered a “peripheral” and,come as and Finland, Poverty is not (Carmo considered, 2010), a “peripheral”Portugal has the Social Canteens in Portugal in the years of country. country.one of the most unequal income distributions in 2012 and 2013. the European Union. The risk of poverty in Por- The Social Canteens are social structures tugal continues to be significantly high. The in- that have been created to link meal providers crease in unemployment is notable among the with families who need to receive these meals. less educated population and with intermediate Having been created as extensions of existing qualifications. Regionally, the greatest Keywords: Markov-Switching models; Active Keywords: Markov-Switching models; Active portfolio2 management; financial market integra- portfolio management; financial market integra- tion; http://observatorio EMU stock -marketsdas-desiguald integrationades.cies.iscte.pt/index.jsp?page=indicators&id=215&lang=pt tion; EMU stock – marketsaccessed April integration 2015 130 The Importance of Social Canteens in the Portuguese Emergency Food Program: A Case Study … expression of this phenomenon occurs in the Al- hough we verify that there is an improvement in garve and Northern Portugal (Carmo, 2010). the education levels of the Portuguese popula- Alt- tion, high rates of school dropouts and a low level of education continue to be registered (Carmo, 2010). Figure 1 – Population at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Portugal, 2010-2013 (%) 27,40% 25,30% 25,30% 24,40% 2010 2011 2012 2013 Ano Source: Own elaboration based on INE (2014:13)3 The concept of poverty is complex, and quality of life of the population (Capucha, some factors may be more important in certain 1998). regions than in other regions. Therefore, the Governments, including those of Portugal, definition of poverty used by the United Nations have created several programs and tools for and national institutions, recurs to a large range fighting poverty across the decades (Costa, of situations to characterize poverty, which is 1998). In the next sub-sections, we will discuss defined as follows: Poverty is a situation of pri- the Portuguese Program of Food Emergency vation, persistent and serious, relative to the and the relevance of a relevant tool within this satisfaction of one or more basic needs in a program – the Social Canteens. given society, standing out among them food, clothing, housing and the respective conditions 2.1. The Program of Food Emergency of use, the essential consumptions, the social and the Social Canteens of the Holy support, health and even certain extraordinary Houses of Mercy as Tools against consumptions (Oliveira, 2001:17). poverty: Actually, a good number of the poor people in Portugal work or have family members who 2.1.1. The Program of Food Emergency are active employees. However, as they tend to and the role of Social Canteens have low qualifications, they work in less pro- ductive areas where low salaries predominate. The Government of Portugal, following the Even when these salaries are combined with National Constitution, has attempted to have as other sources of income (e.g., family agriculture its main concern the protection of disadvan- or other practices of the informal economy), the taged people by promoting social protection,