11225 Italian Homeless To Get Free Caviar For Christmas

Maybe slightly gimmicky article. This though is the real picture. From The International Herald Tribune.

25 OTTOBRE 2008

Italy's 'new poor' fill soup kitchens

MILAN: An empty plastic bag in hand, Stefano G. stands in line with hundreds of others waiting to collect handouts of food he says he can no longer afford.
The 43-year-old shop assistant, who supports his retired parents and declined to give his full name because he did not want to be recognized, has been coming to the Pane Quotidiano, or Daily Bread, charity in Milan for the last seven months, taking home free bread, milk, fruit and vegetables and other staples.
Charities in Italy say a rising number of Italians of working age or retired are seeking their help. According to the World Bank, gross national income in Italy was $33,540 per person in 2007.
The Italian first-timers like Stefano, known as "the new poor" to some, still represent a minority of those seeking help, compared with immigrants going to charities.
But humanitarian groups say the first-timer charity trend is spreading as an economic slowdown and high prices push many people with low incomes or without jobs into hardship.
"This is something that cannot be ignored and will probably rise further," said Marina Nava of the charitable center Opera San Francesco in Milan, which also offers free meals.
"These are people who have a home and up until a little while ago lived above the poverty threshold. But with things changing," she said, they "quickly fall below."
Italy was already on the brink of recession before double-digit price rises for staple foods and the latest spasms of the financial crisis.
Stefano said he was earning "a few hundred euros" a month, or about $380.
"Things are getting worse and worse," he said. `It's a crisis. With prices rising, what can I do but this? I can't steal. Every little bit helps."
Exactly how many people are joining the food queues is hard to say.
Officially, 6.8 percent of Italians are unemployed. The Roman Catholic charity Caritas says 13 percent of the 58 million people in Italy are considered poor, living on less than €500 to €600 a month, or less than half the average salary.
In a report, it also highlighted the "nearly poor," those above the poverty threshold by only €10 to €50 a month.
"Among first-timers, a third are Italians," and the percentage is slowly increasing, said Mario Marazziti of the San Egidio Church soup kitchen in Rome.
Italy, the third-largest euro-zone economy after Germany and France, has been one of its most sluggish performers for years, suffering more than most from high oil prices, a strong euro and the global slowdown.
Statistics show Italy is growing older and poorer while the economy under-performs its European peers.
Inflation is above the euro zone average, with shoppers still pinched by price hikes that producers say are unavoidable because of higher commodity and fuel prices. Pasta was almost 25 percent more expensive in September from a year ago , while bread was up 8.6 percent.
Last month, consumer groups staged a "bread strike," trying to persuade Italians not to buy bread for a day in protest.
The government has so far not taken specific steps to ease the strain on those with low incomes.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Monday that Italy would "not take advantage" of the recent market turmoil to dilute its long-term goals to reduce the national debt.
At Pane Quotidiano, which gives out the equivalent of 2,500 calories of food each to about 2,000 people a day, groups of all ages wait in line as volunteers distribute bread, packs of tiramisu, risotto, peaches and milk.
"In the last year, we've had an increase of over 30 percent in the number of visitors a day," said Ercole Polline, a counselor there. "About a year and a half ago, there were about 80 Italians who came every day. Now there are about 350."
Maria Piacere, 62, is retired and lives on about €800 a month. Piacere has been coming to Pane Quotidiano for a year.
"I have gas and electricity to pay, rent and fuel for the car," she said. "That leaves only a little for the rest."
Among the crowd, a neatly dressed 28-year-old student waited for her turn to collect some food.
"I do not come here voluntarily, but I have no choice," she said, also declining to be identified. "I never imagined I would have to come here but I manage to save some money, say a few euros."

A worthy gesture no doubt but wouldn't it have been better for the caviar to be sold and the money or, more useful goods bought with it and distributed to the poor?

Yes I agree carmel. That too was my initial reaction.

[quote=carmel;106236]A worthy gesture no doubt but wouldn't it have been better for the caviar to be sold and the money or, more useful goods bought with it and distributed to the poor?[/quote]

I understand your sentiments Carmel but this was "some 40 kilos of the delicacy confiscated by the National Forest Corps" - they wouldn't be allowed to sell it.

Here in the UK it wouldn't even be allowed to distributed it to the poor. Major organisations - for example Marks & Sparks, Tesco and Asda, used to donate their leftover food every evening - especailly their sandwiches - to soup kitchens and the homeless, but this has been stopped now as it is considered too risky should someone become ill from food that is on it's last "sell/consume by date" and then possibly decide to sue.

It's the society we live in nowadays unfortunately - where everyone is worried about being sued - and a lot of people would seize the chance to sue.

You are quite correct there Julian.

The Children's Hospice, where I worked, used to receive donations of 'sell by date’ foods from local stores. These were used immediately so within the ‘use by date; and were a major contribution to the running of the hospice but the practice has now stopped.

One of the best things that was donated were yoghurts which were able to be fed to young patients and those who could no longer manage solid food. It is a pity that it all goes to landfill sites now.

[quote=juliancoll;106243]I understand your sentiments Carmel but this was "some 40 kilos of the delicacy confiscated by the National Forest Corps" - they wouldn't be allowed to sell it.

Here in the UK it wouldn't even be allowed to distributed it to the poor. Major organisations - for example Marks & Sparks, Tesco and Asda, used to donate their leftover food every evening - especailly their sandwiches - to soup kitchens and the homeless, but this has been stopped now as it is considered too risky should someone become ill from food that is on it's last "sell/consume by date" and then possibly decide to sue.

It's the society we live in nowadays unfortunately - where everyone is worried about being sued - and a lot of people would seize the chance to sue.[/quote]

And i remember Pret a Manger used to "big up" the fact too that they would give away any unsold sandwiches (ooh the memory of the crayfish and rocket).

I'm a bit out of touch with things in the UK, but having heard this news (at Christmas and when it is starting to get cold) I now feel sickened by the absence of common sense - so you (a big food retailer) can't even give food to someone who is hungry. For the corporate good Samaritan to have to go into retirement for fear of being beaten up is sad indeed.

Here in Italy of course it is different - when I see stuff that is out of date and point it out e.g. to Conad - they just say "MBUH"

Ghianda
[URL="http://www.olivopiegato.com"]Tuscany Bed and Breakfast - L'Olivo Piegato, The Crooked Olive[/URL]

[quote=juliancoll;106243]..this was "some 40 kilos of the delicacy confiscated by the National Forest Corps" - they wouldn't be allowed to sell it. [/quote]

There must be tonnes of other delicate substances seized by government agencies - wouldn't it be nice if they distributed this stuff free to the homeless! Wheeee - snifferoozle Christmas if you're lucky!

These are quite interesting articles pertaining to the UK market..

From two and a half years ago [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5211172.stm]BBC NEWS | Magazine | Food for thought[/url]

More recently It seems that waste food can be recycled,

Waitrose Supermarkets Launch Food Waste Recycling Scheme
[url=http://www.recycle.co.uk/news/955000.html]Waitrose Supermarkets Launch Food Waste Recycling Scheme | Recycle.co.uk[/url]

Sainsbury turns it into pet food.
[url=http://www.mrw.co.uk/page.cfm/action=Archive/ArchiveID=2/EntryID=4862]MRW - MRW news (materials recycling week) - www.mrw.co.uk[/url]

Moved to : Italiauncovered.co.uk

Thanks Oneto15 for that.

Yes, I have heard of this before and I say good luck to them.
Supermarkets would be better off reducing their perishable stock even more, say a day or two before the so called out of date stamp ( mind you these dates could be questionable ). This would then surely be of benefit to all shoppers.
There is too much food wasted these days and that to me personally is unacceptable.

Francesca

[quote=Oneto15;106282]Here in the UK (& presumably elsewhere) there is a growing and not so underground movement of Skip-Divers known as [I]'Freegans[/I]'. :wideeyed:

[URL="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/freegans-the-bin-scavengers-467108.html"]Freegans: The bin scavengers - Environment - The Independent[/URL][/quote]

Thanks Oneto15 - I remember reading about that ages ago back in my life in the UK and yesterday was desperatley trying to remember what "they" were called. Tonight i can sleep again.

Ghianda
[URL="http://www.olivopiegato.com"]Tuscany Bed and Breakfast - L'Olivo Piegato, The Crooked Olive[/URL]

Supermarkets do reduce their food Francesca, even Marks and Spencer nowadays across the board, usually to half price. They never used to. I noticed yesterday one of their assistants removing some expiry designer lillies from the shop floor and I reckon they were destined for being thrown out. Waitrose on the other hand reduce their flowers but they are wilted and still expensive.

Yes, I agree - prices are reduced - especially an hour or two before closing, but they are not reduced as much nowadays as they used to be. I understand the reasoning for this from the supermarkets is because many customers (myself included) were waiting until the massive reductions were applied before they did their shopping.

The one time in the year when all supermarkets DO reduce the prices DRASTICALLY (esecially of fresh foodstuffs) is Christmas Eve - so get down to Tescos about 3pm and grab some bargains to store in the freezer. You will often find duck, goose, beef, legs of lamb, whole salmon and all the fruit and veg have been reduced to silly prices like 10p for a box of vine tomatoes or satumas, £1.50p for a full rib of beef, a salmon or a whole leg of lamb for £1.00.

I always try to make sure there is plenty of space in my freezer at this time of year - it means we eat VERY well for the next 3 - 6 months for almost nothing.

There is an enormous amount of waste now compared to when I was a child.

For a start we had milk delivered to our doors in recyclable glass bottles, and when I was at school all the food waste, like potato peelings etc, was collected in ‘swill bins’, which were collected by the local farmer and used to feed his pigs.

Today we are busy squandering the world’s resources in the name of convenience. Now we feed dead sheep to cows, we throw away mountains of food whilst half the world starves.

I only hope that the poor of Milan enjoyed their caviar and that it was not bought up, after distribution, by someone who will then make money out of it.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;106295]Supermarkets do reduce their food Francesca, even Marks and Spencer nowadays across the board, usually to half price. They never used to. I noticed yesterday one of their assistants removing some expiry designer lillies from the shop floor and I reckon they were destined for being thrown out. Waitrose on the other hand reduce their flowers but they are wilted and still expensive.[/quote]

I don't know if they still do, but the M&S in Leamington Spa (where I used to live) had a staff shop. A lot of products coming to the end of their sell by dates would end up there. Not a bad perk, methinks.