Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.
Food Banking to Play Key Role in Achieving Zero Hunger
The Global FoodBanking Network just released its new report on the 2018 state of global food banking.
2 Min Read
Advancing the food banking model globally will play a critical role in achieving the zero hunger sustainable development goal, according to a new report from The Global FoodBanking Network.
Food banks, which provide meals to those facing hunger through recovering surplus food, operate at the community level in dozens of countries and are estimated to reach more than 15 million people outside of the United States. The report suggests that with greater support from global partners, this model could be replicated and scaled to help solve the challenge of hunger.
“The State of Global Food Banking 2018: Nourishing the World” is the first publication to profile food banks on a global scale and includes profiles of these food recovery organizations in more than 50 countries. The study provides insights and demonstrates the effectiveness of the food banking model as a grassroots, community-led hunger intervention.
The publication is released on the heels of an announcement that hunger is on the rise, with 821 million people facing chronic undernourishment and billions more struggling with food insecurity.
"With the international community's goal of zeroing out hunger by 2030, the need for an effective method to address hunger and malnutrition has never been so clear," said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network, in a statement. "As this report shows, food banking is a proven and locally adaptable solution in solving this pressing humanitarian challenge."
Key findings and conclusions presented in the report include:
Details on food banks served by The Global FoodBanking Network, operating in 31 countries, serving 7.78 million people, more than half of whom are children.
Food banks are an environmental asset as they procure wholesome, surplus food that might otherwise end up as waste throughout the supply chain and redirect it away from landfills to social service organizations that feed the hungry.
Because food banks' success relies on the management of local community leaders rather than temporary foreign aid, the concept is positioned for long-term, sustainable success.
Food banks can be adapted and tailored to work within specific countries' laws and respond to different community needs.
More than 60 million hungry children and families have access to food because of food banks.
Food banks are formed by local leaders to procure safe and surplus food from commercial food systems, which might otherwise go to waste or to landfills, and repurpose it for distribution to those facing hunger directly through community service organizations.
The report was made possible by the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Cargill and The Kellogg Company Fund, as well as through the strategic support for the organization offered by the PIMCO Foundation. It will be the first of an annual report measuring the impact of food banks, the organization said.
About the Author
You May Also Like
