Berlin, December 23 – Almost one in three clients of food banks in Germany is a child, according to recent figures from Tafel Deutschland. The organization, which operates over 970 free food distribution points, serves a total of 1.5 million people. Approximately 20 percent of these clients are over 63 years old, and nearly 30 percent are children.
Rising Child Client Numbers Raise Alarm
Andreas Steppuhn, Chairman of Tafel Deutschland, expressed concern about the trend. “The number of children has slightly increased compared to the previous year, which worries us,” Steppuhn told the German Press Agency. He highlighted the ongoing strain on food banks, attributing it to escalating living costs, high rents, and increasing food prices, which are making finances tighter for many households.
Steppuhn also noted that the situation remains critical: “Still, one-third of all food banks have waiting lists or have stopped accepting new clients.” This underscores the persistent demand for food assistance across the country.
265,000 Tonnes of Food “Rescued” in 2025
In the year coming to a close, German food banks reportedly “rescued” approximately 265,000 tonnes of food. “Broken down, that’s 500 kilograms of food per minute. This is equivalent to, for example, 500 cartons of milk rescued per minute that would otherwise end up in the trash,” explained Tafel Deutschland.
This year, food banks have actively sought to obtain food directly from manufacturers. This initiative comes in response to reports from regional associations indicating that retailers, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), are ordering more precisely, resulting in fewer leftover food items for donation.
Volunteer Engagement Sees Slight Increase
In 2025, a total of 77,000 individuals were involved in the operations of German food banks, with 72,000 of them serving as volunteers. “This is a slight increase compared to the previous year. This makes us very hopeful, but it still doesn’t mean that the food banks have enough helpers,” said Steppuhn, emphasizing the continuous need for more support.
Call for Policy Focus on People and Social Justice
Looking ahead to 2026, the aid organization hopes that “politics will once again focus on people and togetherness,” according to its chairman. “We need solution-oriented social policy measures that truly strive for social justice.”
These measures include poverty-proof wages, pensions, and social benefits, as well as initiatives to combat high rental costs. Regarding food rescue, Steppuhn stated, “We finally hope for a law that makes it cheaper to donate food than to throw it away.” Such legislation would significantly aid food banks in their mission to reduce food waste and support those in need.
Source: https://www.radioherford.de/nachrichten/news-aus-nrw-und-der-welt/berlin-knapp-jeder-dritte-tafelkunde-ist-ein-kind.html
