A recent report from the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) finds that food banks worldwide had to rapidly adapt operations and services to provide for even more communities facing hunger in 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted global food systems over the last year, the report shows that 91 percent of food banks saw a rise in demand for emergency food.

“Despite the challenges presented, food banks stepped up to serve 40 million people in 2020, a 132 percent increase over service in 2019,” Doug O’Brien, Vice President of Programs at the GFN, tells Food Tank.

The Network Activity Report (NAR) is the GFN’s annual survey of its member food banks and their operations from the preceding year. It covers the activity of 49 food banking organizations, representing nearly 800 community-based food banks across 44 countries.

This latest NAR evaluates food banks during 2020, a year when the number of people facing moderate to severe food insecurity increased by 320 million. According to the United Nations (U.N.), one in three people is estimated to be food insecure, and roughly 3 billion people cannot afford to follow a healthy diet.

Food banks were “essential to relief efforts” during the COVID-19 pandemic, says O’Brien, with the NAR finding that food banks worldwide achieved a 10 percent increase in distribution compared to 2019. In total, food banks distributed 882 million kilograms of wholesome surplus food, with 73 percent of all food and beverages distributed defined as “nutritious” by either the food bank or its government. O’Brien explains that this response was possible thanks to innovative partnerships with suppliers and distribution agencies.

With stay-at-home orders in many communities causing hospitality industry shutdowns and impacting consumer behavior, traditional channels of food donations became limited. To ensure resilience, food banks adapted and forged new partnerships across the food industry.

Read the full article about food banks by Georgie Hurst at Food Tank.