SCM Press (London). 2020. Pbk. 224 pages. £19.99.
Pemberton’s argument, in a nutshell, is that ‘Food banks sit at the junction of two roads that are oriented in opposite directions’: the largely instrumental and often exploitative quest for profits on the one hand, ‘neoliberalism’, and on the other, commitment to love and care for the human beings we share our planet with – labelled ‘participation’ in this book. Realising participation that affirms the value of ‘other’ is the challenge which faces us. His prologue situates the genesis of this book in his reflections on the story of one regular visitor to a North East foodbank, and the way in which her life of selflessness has been discredited by politics, economics and society.
After an initial introductory chapter setting out the big picture and the structure of the book, the book begins properly with a substantial set of food bank users’ stories of their experiences and the intersections of food insecurity and faith. It moves on to an examination of the emergence of food banks in USA and UK in particular, which notes the relatively unexplored but significant role of Christian communities in their activities. An important element in this chapter is the way it highlights the phenomenal proportion of food waste which happens through industrial farming, noting that to produce the food wasted in the UK takes an area the size of Wales. It further argues that redistribution of surplus food, fundamental to food banks, is essentially palliative, and does not address waste or poverty.
In the third chapter, Pemberton looks at the place of food in the teaching of the Christian faith, and addresses some of the principles underlying Christian teaching around food – for example ideas of gift and generosity. He develops a participatory theology of food which might inform debates about the positives and negatives of current food bank practice. Chapter 4 examines how well food banks now measure up to the principles outlined in the previous chapter, and suggests that they fit in part, but not completely. Food banks enable community members to provide welcome and effective support for people who are isolated and hungry. The ill fit is suggested to be in two areas: firstly in relation to food banks’ dependence on a food industry that in general pays little attention to ecology and environment – and the sanctity of the created world. Secondly, Pemberton raises questions about the role that food banks play in our culture in stabilising a society which is not participatory and devaluing those who have no other option but the food bank. They deflect attention from fundamental injustices, and, Pemberton suggests, are consistent with a privileged church which places charitable giving rather than radical social change at the heart of the gospel.
In the final chapter he examines a possible way forward for Christians concerned with food insecurity, asking ‘what would we need to do to live sustainably and within a fair food system’ in the UK? He examines Universal Basic Income, the possible disestablishment of the Church of England to release it to be more prophetic, and patterns of farming and consumption of food – advocating local small-scale production and a move to increase vegan and vegetarian diets.
This book, written before the pandemic, is both informative and challenging. It is written accessibly for the general reader and integrates material from diverse strands of thought. In examining food insecurity and faith, Pemberton advocates a participatory and liberating approach to tackling food insecurity, poverty and climate change. I strongly commend this thought-provoking book to anyone interested in addressing such issues.
Pauline Pearson is Emerita Professor of Nursing at Northumbria University and a Team Vicar.