From Surplus to Social Infrastructure: Participatory Redistribution in Unequal Food Systems (Nigeria - UK)

Surplus food redistribution (SFR) is often seen as a charitable response or a practical solution to waste. However, less attention has been paid to understanding how redistribution networks function as social infrastructure within unequal food systems. Drawing on a parallel case study of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative (Nigeria) and FareShare Northwest (UK), this paper redefines redistribution as a form of participatory infrastructure rooted in the uneven food economies.
The research uses qualitative interviews, participatory observation, ethnography and an emerging international workshop model that encourages conversations among practitioners from the Global North and South. By examining how food redistribution works within different governance contexts, such as fragmented social support and infrastructure in Lagos and welfare restructuring driven by austerity in the UK, the study shows how redistribution networks are created through teamwork, volunteer efforts, and negotiated partnerships with donors. These efforts fill gaps in formal food governance while highlighting broader inequalities in accessing food (Garrone et al., 2014; Loopstra, 2018).
This paper makes two main contributions. First, it presents surplus redistribution as a form of social infrastructure, a community support system that ensures food access while creating social and environmental value (Kerstetter et al., 2023; Klinenberg, 2018). Second, it draws on food justice and alternative food network ideas to challenge the usual stories from the Global North about waste and charity, emphasising the complex local, relational politics involved in redistribution (Surman et al., 2021; Cadieux & Slocum, 2015).
By focusing on inequality, governance, and co-produced knowledge, this paper adds depth to discussions about food geography concerning justice, access, and community resilience in uneven food systems.