Fifteen years ago, The Global FoodBanking Network was created to ensure that people around the world have access to food. The mission was simple: launch, strengthen, and sustain a global network of local food banks to support communities when they need it most. This mission still guides us today.
Innovate to Alleviate celebrates our 15th anniversary by highlighting 15 unique innovations—game-changing approaches and adaptations from GFN and member food banks that make hunger alleviation efforts more efficient, effective, and inclusive. Kicking off on International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste and concluding on World Food Day, this campaign demonstrates how food banks are an important component to solving hunger that are rooted in the communities they serve and essential to resilient food systems.
In addition to food distribution, food banks contribute to long-term hunger alleviation by offering nutrition education programs that equip people with the knowledge and skills to nourish themselves for life, which ultimately boosts a community’s health and resilience. Integrating nutrition education into the food bank model is a key innovation of The Global FoodBanking Network’s mission, and we’re proud to highlight its success as part of our 15-year anniversary campaign, Innovate to Alleviate.
How do nutrition education programs work?
Network food banks educate communities about nutrition in a variety of ways. Food bank staff work with local health professionals and nutritionists to organize workshops, seminars, and resources about maintaining healthy diets on a budget. They host cooking demonstrations to teach people how to creatively use foods provided by food banks, prioritizing cultural appropriateness and food waste reduction. And they can also offer community and home gardening programs to provide people with fresh food in areas where access to produce is limited. Currently, more than 25 GFN member food banks have integrated nutrition education into their work.
Nutrition education in practice
Take Mesa Brasil Social Service for Commerce (Sesc), a GFN-supported food bank in Brazil, for instance. Nutrition education has been central to the organization’s programming since its founding in 2003. The food bank has developed one of the most comprehensive and robust nutrition education programs in the Network because it caters to the varied and specific needs of the communities in which it operates. Mesa Brasil Sesc’s culinary workshops, for example, provide cooks and interested community members with culinary training, teaching participants how to make nutritious dishes and how to extend the shelf life of ingredients to reduce food waste. The development of these skills translates to employment opportunities in restaurants, school kitchens, or as independent food vendors.