Established nearly 50 years ago, the food bank model has emerged as an important and effective hunger relief intervention in countries across the globe. Food banks are organizations formed by the people in the countries and communities where they exist to mobilize resources to address hunger and food insecurity. An effective local solution to a local need, food banks are a unique model of community led development. Across the globe, food banks play a vital role in redirecting surplus, wholesome food to the hungry. Since it’s founding in 2006, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) has grown to connecting food banks in 30 countries. As GFN’s reach continues to grow, meeting the needs of the communities the food banks serve; GFN also continues to expand the food banking model, certifying new members annually. Earlier this month, GFN welcomed two new certified members, Tkiyet Um Ali (TUA) and Bancos de Alimentos de México (BAMX). GFN certified members are trustworthy community partners and leaders. In order to receive GFN Certification, food bank experts conduct rigorous evaluations to ensure that beneficiaries receive safely handled nutritious food and that community partners receive quality service from local food banks. GFN Certification ensures that a food banking organization follows established legal, financial and operational protocols to operate at optimal efficiency and effectiveness for a maximum level of impact. Tkiyet Um Ali, Jordan’s response to hunger TUA was founded in 2003 by Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein to represent the first initiative of its kind in the Arab Region that seeks to eradicate hunger. TUA implements sustainable humanitarian food aid programs through the provision of monthly food parcels and serving daily hot meals to the most vulnerable. Aiming to achieve its vision of eradicating hunger in Jordan, TUA launched “Eradicating Extreme Poverty Project” in 2013, in a bid to reach out to (30,000) households throughout the kingdom living in extreme poverty. Last year, TUA reached over 300,000 individuals and distributed more than 14 million kilograms of food. BAMX focuses on delivering nutritious food Founded in 1995, BAMX served as a founding partner of GFN. A network of 53 food banks, BAMX is one of the most important civil society organizations in Mexico. Serving more than one million food insecure people, almost 60 percent of the food rescued in the country are fruits and vegetables, with the remaining 40 percent consisting of grains, cereals, proteins, etc. “The training and resources we have obtained through GFN have meant that we are able to focus better attention to the more than four thousand communities we serve in Mexico,” said María Teresa García Plata, Executive Director, BAMX. “We are convinced that the GFN Certification just awarded to BAMX will allow us to strengthen our model of community interaction to ultimately achieve a country and world without hunger and food waste.” Last month, BAMX was the recipient of the GFN Global Food Bank Innovation Award, made possible by H-E-B, at the 2019 Food Bank Leadership Institute for their Al Rescate de Alimentos Preparado program. Al Rescate is a unique program committed to reducing food waste through the recovery of surplus food from the hospitality and gastronomy sector. Since Al Rescate began in 2014, BAMX has rescued more than 50,000 kilos of prepared food, through partnerships with nine hotels and 50 restaurants. Starting in 2019, Al Rescate will transition services to an online platform and become the first food rescue app in Mexico, ultimately supporting more dynamic and innovative operations throughout the network. One Network. Toward Zero Hunger. Food banks are serving more people than ever before. In 2017, GFN member food banks set a goal to increase the number of people facing hunger reached from 6.8 million to 8 million by the end of 2018. Through the work of dedicated food banks, food banks in the network served more than 9 million people in 2018. GFN’s vision is a world free of hunger, partnering with organizations like BAMX and TUA, we’re one step closer to seeing that vision come to life.