Introduction
The main reason for establishing food banks is to have platforms where people with more food can donate to people with less food. The establishment ensures that people save food since they have a channel to take it to. Food losses in developing countries occur during harvesting, post-harvest processing, and production due to poor technological development and low investment in the food industry.
At the same time, resources are wasted, including water, land, energy, labor, and capital, and greenhouse gas emissions are produced in vain, which contributes to global warming and climate change leading to more food shortages. In developed countries, food losses occur due to consumers’ wasteful behavior (buying more than necessary) and the lack of links between various participants in the food market. These factors contribute to most people dying of hunger due to a lack of access to food and food shortages in other countries.
Importance of Food Banks
Hunger and food wastage are the main reasons for establishing food banks. The main importance of food banks is connecting the donors to hungry people. Through the food bank system, various authoritative organizations emphasize the need to spread programs aimed at the redistribution of food from those for whom it turned out to be superfluous in favor of those who need it. According to Bazerghi et al. (2018), food banks are one of the most efficient means of interacting with donors and recipients in the food market.
Millions of people worldwide are fed annually by this system, which is made up of warehouses, transportation and logistics centers, distribution agencies, volunteers, government organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). With food banks, people can provide food and assistance to those in need, regardless of their race, nationality, or ethnicity (Pollard & Booth, 2019). Thus, food banks are crucial for saving food, connecting donors and people who need food, and solving hunger issues.
How Food Banks Help People Fight Hunger
Food banks are one of the most effective and cost-effective ways of guaranteeing that hungry people are fed and that more charitable funds are used to address hunger’s underlying causes. Safe, unsold food that would otherwise go to waste is gathered and distributed by food banks at every point in the supply chain, from farms to grocery stores and retailers. Food banks help to construct networks by giving a position and buying labor and products from nearby organizations, making a financial upgrade in the areas they serve (Loopstra, 2018). Importantly, food donations enable low-income families to free up funds for other essential requirements.
Food banks ensure that there is no food waste and also help distribute the current food to needy people. Collecting fewer perishable goods makes food banks solve hunger through food reaching delicate people. Most food banks have policies that educate people on how to reduce food wastage and reach hungry people worldwide.
Future Recommendations on Food Banks
Food Banks should grow in scale and become internationalized. Donor companies should be willing to cooperate with the government and other forms of NGOs to reach more people as donors and the hungriest places on the planet. Food banks should also invest in teaching people the need to help each other and protect the environment. Protecting the environment should be dealt with by the organization making sure that millions of tons of organic waste and packaging material do not end up in landfills. With such inclusion in their campaign to help the hungry environmental pollution will be reduced by reducing the ingress of toxic substances into the soil. Improving the waste management mechanism will provide tangible benefits for society.
Conclusion
Food banks should also increase their reach in addressing nutritional issues for those who have enough food and those who do not. Such a strategy will improve the health of donors and food recipients in the current society.
Reference
Bazerghi, C., McKay, F. H., & Dunn, M. (2018). The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity: a systematic review. Journal of community health, 41(4), 732-740.
Loopstra, R. (2018). Interventions to address household food insecurity in high-income countries. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 77(3), 270-281.
Pollard, C. M., & Booth, S. (2019). Food insecurity and hunger in rich countries—it is time for action against inequality. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(10), 1804.