Territorial Analysis of Food Assistance in Italy: Implications for Policy and Planning

Food insecurity has increasingly emerged as a structural concern in high-income countries, yet its territorial dimensions and the role of local welfare infrastructures remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the spatial and temporal dynamics of food assistance systems in Italy using administrative data from the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) program over the period 2019–2023. Adopting an exploratory and system-oriented approach, the paper develops three operational indices to capture key dimensions of local food assistance: demand intensity (Food Aid Index, FAI), organizational coverage (Land Coverage Index, LCI), and functional diversification (Food Aid Diversification Index, FDI). These indicators are used to examine territorial disparities and identify structural patterns across provinces. The results reveal marked spatial heterogeneity, persistent North–South divides and diverse configurations of demand and service provision. The analysis highlights potential mismatches between the intensity of food assistance demand and the capacity of local systems to respond, pointing to differentiated territorial trajectories. Rather than directly measuring food insecurity, the study interprets food assistance as a proxy for the interaction between social need and institutional response. This perspective helps identify infrastructural inequalities and improve understanding of how food assistance systems are embedded within broader welfare configurations.