Giving Compass' Take:

• Last year, The Global FoodBanking Network increased the amount of food distribution from the previous year through its network of food banks serving almost 8 million people. 

• How can food waste innovation include food banks to end world hunger? 

• Read about why measuring success should be qualitative and not just quantitative when it comes to food banks


An estimated 821 million people struggle with chronic hunger. That’s 44 million more than two years ago, despite the adoption of the United Nations sustainable development goal to try to end hunger by 2030.

That means one in nine people around the world is going hungry. Some of these are people whose lives had been upended by some combination of regional conflict, natural disasters, or climate change.

There’s no easy solution to help everyone, but one basic concept continues to make progress: In 2017, The Global FoodBanking Network, which helps support with food banks in over 30 countries, actually distributed about 11% more food by weight than a year earlier, according to a new report from the group entitled The State of Global Food Banking, which publicly audits its operations.

GFN members currently serve nearly 8 million people, and last year salvaged and redirected more than 1 billion pounds of food. Their practices work as a template for other groups both in and out of the network.

For now, the entire food bank sector is estimated to reach about 60 million people across 50 countries worldwide. GFN’s goal is to get banks working in new communities, and hope that the groups behind them open new branches elsewhere too. That is still a huge challenge in places like sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia where food isn’t just unevenly distributed, but often incredibly scarce.

Typically one-third of all food worldwide goes to waste. According to GFN’s math, collecting and re-sharing just 25% of those leftovers would be enough to stop world hunger. The trick is getting it to people: It all comes down to logistics. Each bank builds relationships with nearby providers–primarily farms, manufacturers, and grocery stores–whose goods might otherwise go unsold and spoil. It can then provide those resources to various community service organizations.

Read the full article about food banks by Ben Paynter at Fast Company