Abstract

At the time of the restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the field of food aid in Brussels was the scene of significant changes. These changes occurred both at the level of the actors offering food assistance and in the practices they implemented. Amongst other things, many organisations decided to provide food aid without conditions to any person who requested it. This abolition of admissibility controls seemed to open up prospects for improving the well-being and dignity of people living in situations of precariousness. While the provision of food aid is generally conditional on proof of vulnerability, what lessons can be drawn from unconditional experiences? This article is based on observations and analysis carried out by the authors at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, more specifically in Anderlecht, one of the most precarious cities in the Brussels Region