A week before the government’s proposal for the national budget was presented, the Minister of Agriculture, Sandra Borch, visited the Food Centre. Photos from the visit were posted on the government’s Instagram account, where the minister also boasted about the work the organization does. The food center collects food from grocery chains that have expired, and distributes it to voluntary organisations. – I am impressed by the work the food centers do. It is of course very positive that fully usable food is distributed to people who need it, instead of it going into the bin, stated Borch – At the same time, it is a cross of thought that more and more people need food aid, while at the same time we know that we throw away far too much food . The minister learned that the need for food aid increases every month. So far this year, the increase has been over thirty percent. Losing 600,000 A week later, the government’s proposal for next year’s state budget was presented. There, NOK 600,000 of the support for the Food Center has been cut. – It seems completely absurd and wrong, says general manager Per Christian Rålm. They are experiencing a record-breaking increase in their need for food. – We will distribute more than 10 million meals, or 5,000 tonnes of food, during 2022. The need is much greater. We could distribute 20 million meals. – We have a system for handling surplus food in Norway today, which is becoming more important for more and more people, says Per Christian Rålm. Photo: Haakon Nesse Moreau / news Depending on the offer Among those who could not manage without this help is Lars Petter Pedersen. news meets him at the Evangelisenteret in Oslo, which is one of the places where the food from the Food Center is distributed. – I live on social security, and cannot afford to go to the shop and buy food. So I’m dead addicted to places like this. Pedersen visits the center twice a week. Then he gets a meal, and a carrier bag full of food to take home. He cannot understand that the government will now cut support for the offer. – It is madness. Look around you, see how many people are here. Who depend on this to get food. Lars Petter Pedersen receives food from the Food Center at the Evangelisenteret in Oslo twice a week. He couldn’t have managed without it, he says. Photo: Haakon Nesse Moreau / news – Directly embarrassed – We at the Evangelisenteret collect several hundred tonnes which we distribute to those who are having a hard time, says Stian Ludvigsen at the Evangelisenteret in Oslo. – The fact that money should be saved here, on those who are suffering in society, it is completely incomprehensible. 5,000 tonnes of food will be distributed via the Food Center this year. In the picture are Per Christian Rålm (right) and Cristiano Aubert (right) from the Food Center and Stian Ludvigsen (in the middle) from the Evangelisenteret. Photo: Haakon Nesse Moreau / news Storting representative for Rødt Mimir Kristjánsson also reacts to cuts being made while food queues grow. – This is a petty and antisocial cut, which affects those who have the least in Norway. We have a growing problem with growing food poverty, growing food queues, many hundreds of thousands of families who say they skip meals because they can’t afford it. Kristjánsson believes the government should rather increase the allocations. – I think it is downright embarrassing that we have a government that first travels around and praises offers such as the Food Centre, posts pictures on social media and wants to show that they take this seriously and care. Then to cut the grants to those who distribute food to people who go hungry in Norway. At the Evangelisenteret in Oslo, those in need can come to get food three times a week. The center tells of great progress. Photo: Haakon Nesse Moreau / news Borch Agriculture Minister Sandra Borch says she was on the visit to mark World Food Waste Day. – It must be natural for a minister of agriculture and food to visit organizations that receive support from the national budget. The food center still receives support, Borch points out. At the same time, the ministry has had to make cuts, she explains. – Unfortunately, based on the economic situation, there have been tough priorities in this year’s budget. It has been necessary to make cuts in the budget in several areas, including the grant to voluntary organisations.
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The government proposes to cut funding for the Food Center – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
