Social restaurants in Amsterdam-Noord run on 220 volunteers and involve about 275 people in activation and development. The MKBA by New Economy counts this participation as social value alongside the meals. The restaurants are as much about people as about food. Without a calculation, the social value of informal food initiatives stays invisible, while the cost of inaction keeps rising.
A social cost-benefit analysis values the network’s benefits against public spending and avoidable social costs. This is relevant for municipalities, city districts and organisations working on food security, poverty and public health.