Public food policies of different levels of government during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Bahia Blanca

ABSTRACT

This article analyses food policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, based on legislation, budgetary data and official statistics on poverty and indigence. During the pandemic, different levels of government increased the scope of most social programs and, in particular, those aimed at guaranteeing access to food directly or indirectly became of vital importance. In Bahia Blanca, most of the public investment allocated to the health emergency was directed to the purchase and distribution of food, which reflects an important role of the local level in food assistance programs. However, despite the initiatives of the different levels of government, these were not enough to address the increase in the potential need for food assistance in the population.