Today, more than 820 million people do not have enough to eat. The total number of undernourished has been increasing for several years in a row. This means that today one in every nine people in the world suffers from hunger.
Hunger is often not a food problem – but a logistics problem. Approximately 15-30% of food in emerging economies is wasted. In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply.
These statistics urge immediate and constant action for our society to do better with food. And this is where food banks come into play.
Food banks amidst the coronavirus pandemic
In today’s crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the need for food banks has been taken to unprecedented levels.
The International Labor Organization estimated that the number of lost jobs due to COVID-19 could climb to nearly 25 million.
- Many employees have been put on unpaid leave, causing additional financial hardship for food-insecure families.
- Measures intending to reduce virus transmission are leaving seniors and immunocompromised people relying on expensive and limited grocery delivery services.
- Disrupted supply chains and panic-buying and hoarding make it even more difficult to get food to those who need it most.
This, combined with chronic hunger and poverty, is driving record-high demand for food bank services.
Food banking systems capture surplus food and deliver it to the people who need it most, engaging all sectors of society (governments, business, and civil) in the process. Food banks acquire donated food and make it available to those in need through an established network of community agencies.
A large number of individuals depend on food banks for sustenance. Feeding America network of food banks provides service to 46.5 million people in need across the United States.
Before the coronavirus, 821 million people around the globe were considered food insecure. In just a few months, according to Bloomberg, that number could more than double.
In a survey conducted by The Global FoodBanking Network across 39 countries found that there is:
- 50-100%+ increase in demand for emergency food assistance
- 90% reported an urgent need for food.
- 21% reported an urgent need for more employees or volunteers
Author: Ilma Ibrisevic