Abstract

During and after the pandemic, Tuscany also recorded a considerable increase in the number of people and families requesting food aid. The «Mirod database» of Caritas (people who use food aid services provided by the territorial Catholic Church structures) highlights this increase well, remarking a 13% increase in food aid interventions. In 2021 the Social Observatory of the Tuscany Region promoted a survey on the topic. The aim was to produce a new cognitive framework that would give voice to the users of Caritas food support services in Tuscany. The article reports the main results of the research, focusing on the following three areas of analysis: the main characteristics of food poverty in Tuscany; the impact of the pandemic emergency and the consequences on families with children; the role of the Caritas food assistance system.