A recent report from the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) shows that food banks around the world should be able to provide services and services quickly, even to many communities facing famine by 2020. According to the report, 91 percent of food banks’ emergency food needs have increased.
“Despite the challenges, it has moved to serve 40 million people by 2020, an increase of 132 percent over 2019,” said Doug O’Brien, vice president of programs at GFN.
Network Activity Report (NR) is an annual survey of member food banks and their work since last year. It covers the activities of 49 food banking organizations representing nearly 800 community-based food banks in 44 countries.
The latest NR assesses food banks by 2020, and the number of people with moderate to severe food insecurity has increased by 320 million. According to the United Nations, one in three people is malnourished, and an estimated 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, food banks were “essential for relief efforts,” said Obrien, who said the NR had seen a 10 percent increase in global food markets compared to 2019. In total, food banks distributed 882 million kilograms. 73% of the total food and beverages are distributed by the Food Bank or the government as “constructive” food. Auburn explains that this response was possible thanks to creative partnerships with suppliers and distributors.
In many communities, traditional food donation channels have been limited due to the closure of the hospitality industry and consumer behavior. To ensure resilience, food banks have created new partnerships across the food industry.
Under the GFN system, when restaurants, food services and other consumer goods are restricted directly, food banks are able to buy those products and transfer the profits to food insecure communities. Says the food tank. “For example, agricultural and agricultural rehabilitation has increased by nine percent [in] From 2019 to 17 percent [in] 2020 products distributed.
Meanwhile, partnerships with consumer agencies (BAOs), such as warehouses, restaurants, homeless shelters, and after-school programs — as well as cultural partners such as student unions – have increased by five percent.
In the midst of school closures, in April 2020, when an estimated 370 million children lost their daily food services, food banks “were innovative in their efforts to continue to support healthy children’s development during the epidemic,” says O’Brien.
Some GFN members provide weekly or monthly rations to families with children. They set up food banks in other places, such as kindergartens, and set up temporary soup kitchens for children who relied on school meals.
According to Obarin, the network has demonstrated the need to build these adaptation strategies according to its members. GFN also explains that in order to help countries where the epidemic is still in its infancy, COVID-19 has already set up webinars for peer-to-peer learning.
O’Brien sees food banks as “pillars of support in their communities,” and GFN is working with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) to make this much-needed infrastructure more sustainable in emergencies.
In response to the epidemic, GFN and FLPC have created two CV shortcuts outlining what governments can do to speed up food purchases to alleviate hunger. And Atlas Atlas, a global food donation policy, advises governments around the world to increase support for food banks.
Auburn hopes that covand-responsive distribution modes, new partnerships and networks, as well as government support for food banks will continue after the epidemic. The importance of food banks — and their ability to respond to the needs of the community — provides a better model of public-private partnerships for community and food security.
Image courtesy Bancos de Alimentos Mexico.