Currently, up to 22 percent of all board members that work for food banks and food diversion organizations additionally work for Fortune 500 companies. On the other hand, leaders and members of labor unions made up only 0.8 percent of all board members (Fisher, 2017). While reasons vary, they primarily suggest that these members are involved within these organizations as a form of social service and not social change. What this suggests is that a large portion of the leadership within these collectives aim to provide assistance and food but not to challenge the current system that fosters the related issues of poverty, unemployment, low wages, and hunger.
There are a number of benefits of hosting corporate individuals within organizations related to food and other necessary products. Primarily, it is because many of these board members are directly involved in the agricultural and food production business, either through farming, grocer firms, or supermarket management. Additionally, they are able to implement successful leadership and decision-making tactics within these organizations to effectively manage and allocate resources and food.
However, these individuals rarely address the inherent root of hunger. While food that is provided can improve the condition of individuals, the strategy does little to enhance the quality and fair distribution of health among groups that are categorized by various social determinants. Overall, the contributing factors that propel hunger are often related to inadequate wages, lacking social infrastructure, and even discrepancies between the ethnic and gender-based makeup of board members and the clients they serve. Essentially, the organizations often lack acknowledging long-term solutions by modifying labor markets, unequal social systems, and other direct obstacles to healthier and more accessible lifestyles.
The current approach to hunger is inadequate as it provides a short-term solution and no incentive for those that are marginalized to improve their conditions in the long run. The opportunities to become self-sufficient are limited and sometimes much more complex than relying on food banks. The cycle of poverty is partly propagated because offered employment cannot compensate for all needs, oftentimes including food, and bars individuals from attempts to seek appropriate employment, housing, and health services. The presence of corporate individuals as board members of food bank organizations is not inherently adverse, but their current approaches are inadequate at solving the crisis of hunger nationwide.
Reference
Fisher, A. (2017). Food banks feed people. Why don’t they fight hunger? The Counter. Web.