Food banks in The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) provided nutritious food for 7.78 million people around the world, increasing impact by nearly 700,000 hungry people over the prior year and bringing the network closer to its goal of nourishing eight million people facing hunger by the end of 2018.
The organization’s most recent annual survey revealed that GFN’s work in more than 30 countries supports 811 individual food banks. Last year, these organizations distributed 447 million kilograms of food and products to more than 55,000 social service agencies such as orphanages, school-feeding programs, food pantries and soup kitchens.
These results suggest that GFN is on track to meeting the 8 Million by 2018 challenge, a goal set in January 2017 to extend food bank service from 6.8 to 8 million people over the course of 24 months. A second phase of this challenge launched in January 2018 to increase the number of children served by the food banking model by 10 percent.
Currently, more than half the people served by GFN network food banks are children.
This challenge has provided new resources for GFN and partners to advance the food banking model, which captures wholesome food destined to be wasted and re-directs it to those facing hunger. The food banking approach, which is carried out in dozens of countries globally, supports local charities serving those in need while complementing government social safety net programs. On average, food banks in the GFN network are providing 150 meals per person.
“Food banking is a powerful solution that helps communities ensure that children, women and men facing hunger can access a nutritious meal,” said Lisa Moon, President & CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Yet, with more resources and know-how and fewer policy barriers, food banks could serve many more facing hunger. The 8 Million by 2018 challenge has provided a global platform to help scale this model so that communities can tackle hunger more effectively.”
GFN ran two match campaigns to raise funds to support the 8 Million by 2018 challenge. Partners committed to combating hunger and malnutrition contributed to the campaigns, and a generous anonymous donor matched all new and increased investments. Both campaigns, in 2017 and 2018 reached their goals and a total of $2 million was raised for the challenge.”
To advance food banking services, GFN launched a competitive grants fund to support its members in expanding their capacity. Further, the organization has ramped up the services provided to members; including training, leadership coaching, in-field technical assistance and connections to global funders and product partners. GFN is also working closely with newer food bank operations in countries where there is extreme food insecurity like Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru.
There are currently 815 million people facing chronic undernourishment while approximately one third of all food goes to waste, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2015, the international community has committed to zeroing out hunger and malnutrition and halving food waste by 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals.
Partners in the 8 Million by 2018 Challenge
The Global FoodBanking Network is grateful to the many corporate partners and individuals who helped make the 8 Million by 2018 Challenge a success. Our sincere thanks in particular to these partners for their exceptional generosity – General Mills, The PepsiCo Foundation, The PIMCO Foundation, and the anonymous donor whose matching gift served as inspiration. We deeply appreciate the many individual contributions as well as corporate partners Bella Tunno LLC; Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont; Grant Thornton LLP; Ingredion; Kellogg Company; MyUS; RTM Engineering Consultants; and Urban Partnership Bank.
About The Global FoodBanking Network
The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is a non-profit organization that nourishes the world’s hungry through launching and strengthening food banks in more than 30 countries. Last year GFN member food banks rescued 985 million pounds of food and redirected it to feed more than 7.78 million people through 55,000 social service organizations.
The organization’s most recent annual survey revealed that GFN’s work in more than 30 countries supports 811 individual food banks. Last year, these organizations distributed 447 million kilograms of food and products to more than 55,000 social service agencies such as orphanages, school-feeding programs, food pantries and soup kitchens.
These results suggest that GFN is on track to meeting the 8 Million by 2018 challenge, a goal set in January 2017 to extend food bank service from 6.8 to 8 million people over the course of 24 months. A second phase of this challenge launched in January 2018 to increase the number of children served by the food banking model by 10 percent.
Currently, more than half the people served by GFN network food banks are children.
This challenge has provided new resources for GFN and partners to advance the food banking model, which captures wholesome food destined to be wasted and re-directs it to those facing hunger. The food banking approach, which is carried out in dozens of countries globally, supports local charities serving those in need while complementing government social safety net programs. On average, food banks in the GFN network are providing 150 meals per person.
“Food banking is a powerful solution that helps communities ensure that children, women and men facing hunger can access a nutritious meal,” said Lisa Moon, President & CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Yet, with more resources and know-how and fewer policy barriers, food banks could serve many more facing hunger. The 8 Million by 2018 challenge has provided a global platform to help scale this model so that communities can tackle hunger more effectively.”
GFN ran two match campaigns to raise funds to support the 8 Million by 2018 challenge. Partners committed to combating hunger and malnutrition contributed to the campaigns, and a generous anonymous donor matched all new and increased investments. Both campaigns, in 2017 and 2018 reached their goals and a total of $2 million was raised for the challenge.”
To advance food banking services, GFN launched a competitive grants fund to support its members in expanding their capacity. Further, the organization has ramped up the services provided to members; including training, leadership coaching, in-field technical assistance and connections to global funders and product partners. GFN is also working closely with newer food bank operations in countries where there is extreme food insecurity like Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru.
There are currently 815 million people facing chronic undernourishment while approximately one third of all food goes to waste, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2015, the international community has committed to zeroing out hunger and malnutrition and halving food waste by 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals.
Partners in the 8 Million by 2018 Challenge
The Global FoodBanking Network is grateful to the many corporate partners and individuals who helped make the 8 Million by 2018 Challenge a success. Our sincere thanks in particular to these partners for their exceptional generosity – General Mills, The PepsiCo Foundation, The PIMCO Foundation, and the anonymous donor whose matching gift served as inspiration. We deeply appreciate the many individual contributions as well as corporate partners Bella Tunno LLC; Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont; Grant Thornton LLP; Ingredion; Kellogg Company; MyUS; RTM Engineering Consultants; and Urban Partnership Bank.
About The Global FoodBanking Network
The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is a non-profit organization that nourishes the world’s hungry through launching and strengthening food banks in more than 30 countries. Last year GFN member food banks rescued 985 million pounds of food and redirected it to feed more than 7.78 million people through 55,000 social service organizations.