Annual Report FY2025

Jones Daniel, 31, (left) and Justina George, 25, (right) recover oranges at Fenpanath Nigeria Ltd’s citrus farm, a partner organization of Lagos Food Bank Initiative in Abeookuta, Ogun, Nigeria, on January 22, 2024. (The Global FoodBanking Network / Julius Ogundiran)

Around the world, communities are facing unprecedented challenges.

1 in 11 people face hunger.

Economic shocks, conflicts and climate-related disasters are making the problem worse.

At the same time, one-third of all food is wasted, accounting for 25% of solid material in landfills and emitting 10% of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Food banks across the globe are stepping up to meet these challenges.

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In 2024 . . .

55 GFN member food bank organizations provided
762 million kilograms of food and grocery products to
38 million people facing food insecurity in
46 countries across
6 continents.

Our network of food banks saw a

17% increase in food distribution and ensured
58% of all food distributed was highly nutritious.

We helped reduce food loss and waste, keeping

512 million kilograms of food out of landfills,
while avoiding
1.9 million metric tons of harmful CO2e emissions —
the equivalent of the emissions from 443,000 passenger vehicles in a year.

"Around the world, food banks are meeting the moment in powerful ways — evolving and driving solutions that have an immediate impact and lead to longer-term shifts that benefit people and make their communities more resilient."

Lisa Moon, GFN President and CEO

Strengthening Food Banks

GFN works to advance and support food banks across the globe by providing its members with deep technical expertise in food sourcing, organizational management, logistics, data analysis and fundraising — all essential components of a successful food banking model. GFN food banks benefit from a vast array of resources and opportunities that strengthen and enhance their work, from technical assistance, grants management and research to knowledge sharing, community building and partnership opportunities.

"This [GFN Certification] not only enhances our credibility but also opens the door to new resources, best practices and international collaboration. It is not just a recognition of our past work but a launching point for even greater impact, both locally and globally."

Tawee “Kong” Impoolsup, country manager, SOS Thailand

In 2024, GFN strengthened food banks by:

Helping support and scale food bank operations — from establishing cold chain capabilities in Côte d’Ivoire to enhancing existing food safety protocols in El Salvador — through more than $6.7 million in strategic grants to our member food banks.
Restarting our Certification Process, a rigorous, standards-based initiative designed to elevate the quality and impact of food banks around the world. GFN has now certified 29 members spanning 28 countries.
Bringing together 30 food bankers from 12 countries at our Africa Regional Conference in Accra, Ghana, to build community, make connections and share learnings from across the network.

Spurring Food Systems Transformation

To advance systemic shifts in the food system, GFN works in three main areas: improving the use of data to better measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through food banking; supporting government policies that reduce food loss and waste; and promoting business strategies to reduce food loss and waste through donation of more surplus food. Together, these efforts expand food access, reduce emissions, address underlying social and environmental impacts of food waste, and create stronger, healthier communities.

"We hope that our research empowers food bank partners and encourages more governments to systematically work toward closing the gap between surplus food and rates of food insecurity."

Emily Broad-Leib, director, Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic

In 2024, GFN spurred food systems transformation by:

Publishing the FRAME (Food Recovery to Avoid Methane Emissions) methodology — developed in partnership with the Global Methane Hub — to quantify the climate impact of food recovery and redistribution. The methodology was piloted by six food banks, which collectively avoided 19,020 metric tons of CO2e and 778 tons of methane in one year.
Partnering with Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic to promote and encourage improved food donation legislation in Brazil, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam.
Launching our first-ever global #FoodForChange digital campaign, reaching more than 2.7 million people to raise awareness around the vital role of food banking in reducing food loss and waste and creating a more resilient food system.

Accelerating Food Bank Growth

GFN Acelerador program fast tracks food banks, enabling them to scale up their operations and quickly provide vital food relief in their communities. Acelerador participants — currently three in Asia Pacific and six in sub-Saharan Africa — receive intensive technical support and catalytic investment in infrastructure, access to partnerships that ignite growth, and mentorship by experts experienced in food bank operations. GFN adapts the program to meet the needs and dynamics of communities and carries it out through a cohort approach, allowing participants ongoing access to GFN experts, other food banks in the network and partners who are committed to seeing food banking thrive.

"GFN’s support has been very crucial for our growth. GFN was with us, starting from the registration of our food bank … the initial phases of standardizing our food bank. Their technical and financial support have been major factors [in our opening] the first food bank in Ethiopia."

Zenawi Woldentensay, Executive Director, It Rains Food Bank of Ethiopia

In 2024, GFN accelerated food bank growth by:

Championing the first two cohorts of the Acelerador program to reach a combined 12.1 million people, a nearly 20% increase year over year.
Helping Acelerador food banks distribute 2.8 million kilograms of food and grocery products to their communities.
Welcoming FoodWise Mauricio to the program and hosting fellowship exchanges, where food bank members shared ideas and collectively problem-solved, in South Africa and Asia.

Expanding Agricultural Recovery

GFN is working to increase the collection and redistribution of nutritious fruits and vegetables by supporting and promoting agricultural recovery programs or partnerships. Food banks work with farmers or markets to collect surplus produce that would otherwise go to waste. Currently, 35 GFN food banks have an agricultural recovery program, and in 2024, 26% of food recovered by the network came from agricultural sources like farms, packhouses and markets. GFN also supports these efforts through skills training, knowledge sharing and financial resources to accelerate adoption and scaling of agricultural recovery programs, especially in emerging and developing markets.

"For Banco de Alimentos Panamá, the agricultural recovery program we are about to launch is very important because it will allow us to increase food recovery exponentially compared to the recovery we currently do at wholesale markets. It will allow us to directly reach farmers and all the agricultural producers in the country, to bring them into the fight against hunger in Panama by helping us recover fresh fruits and vegetables."

Juan Pablo Torrealba, Food Recovery Specialist, Banco de Alimentos Panamá

In 2024, GFN expanded agricultural recovery by:

Working with our food bank partners to source nearly 147 million kilograms of products from the agriculture sector in 2024, more than double compared to just five years ago.
Hiring a new agricultural recovery hub director based in Nairobi, Kenya, and launching the Agricultural Recovery Communities of Practice, providing expertise and guidance to partner food banks looking to start or scale recovery efforts.
Collaborating with food bank members like Llueve Banco de Alimentos de Etiopía to launch its agricultural recovery program, bringing in 60,000 kilograms of fresh fruits and vegetables, driving distribution up by 60% year over year.

Spotlight:
Cumbre Mundial de la GFN

In September of 2024, more than 350 food bankers, partners and supporters gathered in Sydney, Australia, for the GFN Global Summit.

The Summit (formerly the Food Bank Leadership Institute), hosted by GFN in partnership with Foodbank Australia, was an opportunity for GFN members and partners to come together, share insights and spark new ideas in our ongoing efforts to alleviate hunger, reduce food loss and waste, and build stronger, healthier communities.

The weeklong event included opportunities for learning, knowledge sharing and networking and included field trips to local food banks, farmers markets and warehouses.

Thank You to Our Generous Supporters

We are so grateful to the many individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations who continue to support our mission.

Because of you our network of food bank partners is touching more lives than ever before and making a real difference in the effort to create a healthier, more sustainable food system.

This work would not be possible without your generous contributions.

"Your commitment ensures food banks around the world can continue to serve their communities and build a more resilient, equitable food system for the future. On behalf of our team and our global network of food banks, thank you for your unwavering support.

Together, we are getting more nutritious food to those who need it most, reducing food loss and waste for a healthier planet, and building stronger, more resilient communities."

Lisa Moon, GFN President and CEO