SPANNING THE GLOBE: Improving Lives, and Expanding Resources to Feed the World’s Hungry

To alleviate global hunger by collaborating to develop food banks in communities where they are needed around the world and by supporting food banks where they exist. Our Mission

GFN currently supports food bank operations in 18 countries, home to over one- third of the world’s nearly one billion undernourished people and are actively assisting in the development process in 8 more. We create efficient and sustainable organizations that provide environmentally friendly alternatives to surplus grocery product disposal. Our management team has extensive background in domestic and international food bank development and administration. Who We Are

Why It Matters Hunger kills. Each year, the death toll from hunger and related diseases exceeds that of AIDS, malaria, and TB combined 1. Hunger on the rise. After years of progress, hunger is increasing and now affects an estimated 925 million people 2. 1 World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,

Why It Matters Hunger’s effect. Every child whose physical and mental development is stunted by hunger and malnutrition stands to lose 5% - 10% in lifetime earnings 1. This cost of under-nutrition to national economic development is estimated at $20 - $30 billion per year 2. 1 World Food Programme. 2 Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition, UNICEF, 2006.

How Food Banking Works

Partners in our Mission

The world produces enough food to adequately nourish everyone on the planet 1. Much of what is grown, processed and manufactured is never consumed due to:  Failure to harvest  Post-harvest loss  Product disposal  Expiration  Over-production  Damage  Marketing and other business decisions  Inadequate legal and tax incentives and poor alignment and coordination among government, the private and volunteer sectors. The Hunger Challenge 1 Leathers, H., & Foster, P. (2009). The world food problem: toward ending under-nutrition in the third world. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.

Food Banks and Food Waste The 2011 Global Food Loss and Waste study, commissioned by the FAO, reports that approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption is never eaten. To provide context:  This amounts to 1.3 billion tons of food lost each year.  Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tons) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tons)  Food banks source an increasing amount of highly nutritious food including dairy products, animal proteins and produce from grocery stores prior to those products shelf life expiration.  This intervention saves a tremendous amount of food from landfill and the destructive methane that it produces.

Assess community and country-wide food assistance needs and available resources Recruit business, faith, community, and government leaders to engage with or design the food banking system Develop partnerships with grocery products and other industries to enhance food banking service delivery Provide planning and technical support Share logistical, operational and technology support Promote best practices, expertise, and training resources Assure food bank compliance with food safety standards What We Do

For the past six years, GFN has co-hosted an in-depth one week forum covering: Food Bank Development, Formation, and Governance Food and Grocery Product Sourcing Fundraising and Marketing Public Policy 166 existing and prospective food bankers have attended from 44 countries. The Leadership Institute is GFN’s signature event and provides the only global forum for training, technical assistance, and best practice sharing. Last year, GFN has added to its brand by holding a regional conference in Colombia to focus on expanding food banking in Central and South America, where 100 attendees including 45 food bankers from 6 countries attended. Food Bank Leadership Institute

Where We Work

Mexico North and Central America

Israel Middle East and Africa

Egypt

South Africa

Food banks are not officially designated as ‘1 st responders’ however, in many parts of the world, food banks are called upon to assist governmental agencies, faith - based communities and other NGOs immediately after a crisis hits. Why?  Food banks are trusted and known entities in-country.  Food banks are not here today and gone tomorrow – they have the skills and abilities to adapt to urgent needs AND they are also going to be in place for the long term rebuilding and recovery efforts.  Food banks have the experience to accept large quantities of products; then quickly and efficiently redistribute those products to where they are most needed.  Food banks are flexible by design; they can often enter areas off-limits to other charities, government agencies or non-resident response organizations to distribute emergency supplies.

Australian Flooding FoodBank Australia When record setting rains fell across Queensland, FoodBank Australia went into overdrive to get food and grocery items to shelters, hospitals and congregate feeding sites. FoodBank Australia also mustered donations of clean, bottled water to help communities who lost their potable drinking water to septic flood waters. The food banks enlisted hundreds of volunteers from closed schools and businesses during and immediately after the floods.

March 11, 2011 – Japan Second Harvest Japan Earthquake /tsunami /nuclear Second Harvest Japan epitomized what a food bank can do in response to an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. Food bank vehicles and staff were able to serve areas isolated from governmental aid, other NGOs and outside responders. Their local reputation and knowledge enabled food to reach many thousands of disaster survivors – including women, children and seniors. Their efforts continue more than one year after.

Thank You Questions? Please contact us at our website with any additional questions that you have.