‘We need to be alarmed’: food banks in overdrive as politicians allow Australians to go hungry

Food relief organisations say they are helping more people than ever before. But this is not a good news story

Food banks in Australia were overwhelmed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whole industries shut down, shedding jobs, and vulnerable people were suddenly more numerous and visible than ever. The demand for food relief exploded, and the charity sector went into overdrive.

But the unique circumstances of the pandemic obscure a much more insidious problem.