And the difference in wages between male and female cops
Only allowing funds to be spent at particular supermarkets may mean that access continues to be an issue, however.
Ongoing trials in Europe may be making small inroads, but they are helping researchers answer questions about whether such schemes would ever be feasible on a larger scale.
According to Emma Patterson, senior lecturer at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, they are a great way to address structural barriers like cost and accessibility to food.
There is also the broader issue that it may be very difficult to change people’s mindsets. For some people it is very difficult to view social security as a scenario from which we all gain.
According to Patterson, "To have a wide impact, you need to involve ordinary supermarkets and make this available to everybody. Otherwise, you'd be benefiting people already in a position to make extra trips to special shops.”
Social security for food initiatives such as those underway in France and Belgium have so far received mixed reviews.
Funds are issued to each participant in a local currency that can be spent at five different supermarkets throughout the city.
The project in Montpellier, France, hinges more heavily on the idea that wealthier individuals should contribute more for their food.
The participants do not have to make a contribution, but they are only able to spend their allowance in one particular supermarket called BEES Coop.
The trial involves 400 participants, half of whom live in poverty. All participants are required to contribute a voluntary amount of between 1 and 150€, but everyone receives a fixed sum of 100€ per month.
There are currently two trials underway that are experimenting with this food social security concept, one in France and one in Belgium.
In the Brussels trial, which started in 2022 and which is funded by the Belgian social welfare center, participants from 60 low-income households receive 150€ per month for a year.
Organic farming also has a smaller environmental impact than traditional farming, and it can increase biodiversity.
Indeed, although organic foods do not contain more nutrients than their non-organic counterparts, they are healthier in the sense that they expose us to fewer pesticides.
Another key aspect to this initiative is that only products meeting certain criteria should be able to be purchased with the food allowance card.
These criteria, which include things such as organic certification and fair pay for workers, are intended to contribute to an overall transformation of the global food system.
With proportionate contributions and a fixed allowance, such initiatives would effectively redistribute wealth from those with the most to those with the least.
As with universal healthcare systems such as those in France and Belgium, the personal allowance would be funded by contributions proportional to each individual’s income.
In terms of the amount to be received, between 100 and 150€ (US$106-159) has been suggested for adults, and between 50 and 75€ ($53-8) for kids.
The proposal is that every citizen should receive a monthly allowance, which would enable them to buy foods meeting certain environmental and ethical standards.
Both countries have proposed a scheme under which every citizen would automatically receive a fixed sum each month, for example on a designated food allowance card.
Two countries in particular are paving the way when it comes to exploring this concept: France and Belgium.
Central to this concept is the idea that everyone, regardless of their income, should have the right to access healthy and nutritious food.
Global hunger and malnutrition may not be a new topic, but as inflation takes hold and food prices rise around the world, the affordability of food is an increasing concern.
In response to the growing crisis, collectives of NGOs, farmers, researchers, and citizens in Europe are experimenting with the concept of "social security for food."
It is no great secret that we have a global problem with access to food. Each year, enough food is produced to feed 10 billion people, and yet billions of people go undernourished.
There may also be the opportunity for further funding through a state contribution, for example by increasing the excise duties on products such as alcohol and tobacco.
With billions of people going hungry each year, it is clear that we have a problem with global hunger. In fact, world hunger is currently on the rise.
The problem is not that there isn't enough to go around, of course. Each year, we easily produce enough food to feed the world's population. Instead, a complex combination of issues including poverty, conflict, and weak government and health systems mean that vast swathes of the world's population go without nutritious food.
With this in mind, two countries in Europe are experimenting with a potential solution to the food crisis. Check out this gallery to find out all about this pioneering approach.
The European experiment with social security for food
A revolutionary approach to solving the food crisis
LIFESTYLE Food crisis
With billions of people going hungry each year, it is clear that we have a problem with global hunger. In fact, world hunger is currently on the rise.
The problem is not that there isn't enough to go around, of course. Each year, we easily produce enough food to feed the world's population. Instead, a complex combination of issues including poverty, conflict, and weak government and health systems mean that vast swathes of the world's population go without nutritious food.
With this in mind, two countries in Europe are experimenting with a potential solution to the food crisis. Check out this gallery to find out all about this pioneering approach.