The Global FoodBanking Network

Big CONGRATULATIONS TO US 🍾🎉🎊 Our incredible journey of 9 years has culminated in a groundbreaking achievement-a state-of-the-art food bank warehouse designed to enhance our capacity to serve vulnerable communities like never before 💃🏼 This facility boasts massive storage capacity, an advanced cooling system, and a comfortable atmosphere for our dedicated volunteers to work efficiently. We are deeply grateful to all our stakeholders-our corporate partners, volunteers, board of trustees, and international partners-for being part of this transformative journey. Your unwavering support has made this possible. A special appreciation goes to our international partner, Global Food Banking Network The Global FoodBanking Network for their immense support in helping us achieve this remarkable milestone. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu jidesanwool, ably represented by the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture, Abiola Olusanya for honoring our invitation and officially inaugurating our new warehouse. To all our corporate partners who graced the occasion your presence meant the world to us, and your continued support fuels our mission. If you're as excited as we are about this new chapter and our increased capacity to serve even more vulnerable families, drop a congratulatory message in the comments and celebrate with us! #LagosFoodBank #9YearsOflmpact #NewMilestone #EndHunger #TogetherWeCan

I recently returned from an enriching work trip to Colombia, where I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the agricultural recovery programs of Banco de Alimentos de Bogotá (doing incredible work at the country's largest wholesale market CORPORACIÓN DE ABASTOS DE BOGOTÁ S.A "CORABASTOS"), Fundación SACIAR Banco de Alimentos, and Archdiocesan Food Bank Foundation of Medellin. These food banks are doing outstanding work to ensure that more food from upstream in the supply chain is efficiently recovered and distributed to communities facing food insecurity and malnutrition. Their efforts are the cornerstone of strengthening communities and delivering hope—creating an impact that extends far beyond what can be measured. Many of these effects are deeply personal, intangible, and immeasurable, yet they serve as a powerful reminder of why food banking is critically needed. In 2023, Colombia’s network of food banks recovered and redistributed ~9,000 tons of food through agricultural recovery programs, with significant growth prospects for this year and beyond. From the diverse ways in which food banks recover fresh produce from farms and markets to their strong focus on serving communities in need, this trip has reinforced our collective commitment to tackling food insecurity and malnutrition while reducing food waste at critical points in the supply chain. A special thank you to my colleagues from The Global FoodBanking Network, Paula Andrea Moreno Londoño and Ana Catalina Suarez Peña, for your support during this important visit, and to our incredible colleagues from ABACO - Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia, Norma Fernanda Alonso Valencia and Juan Carlos Buitrago Ortiz, for your invaluable guidance and admirable leadership! My heartfelt gratitude to our host food banks for sharing their incredible work. I feel so fortunate to learn from those on the forefront, serving their communities daily with respect, dignity, and unwavering commitment.

#DidYouKnow? So many GFN partners support us through employee engagement programs! Studies show that businesses with high employee engagement see higher profitability, productivity, customer loyalty and engagement, and lower turnover.

On yet another journey to deepen my knowledge of food banking and strengthen my network, I visited the FareShare Sussex & Surrey facilities in Guildford. I had the opportunity to explore the incredible work carried out by a dynamic team, from the collection process to the distribution of food to beneficiaries. As the leader of a food bank in Mozambique, I couldn’t miss the chance to see firsthand and learn about FareShare UK which is the largest food banking network in the UK. It consists of 18 independent organisations and supports over 8,000 beneficiary organisations, distributing thousands of tonnes of food to millions of households facing hunger. #What do you need to know about food banks? 1. Their efforts to prevent food waste in the community help reduce CO2 emissions, significantly impacting climate change. 2. Food banks simply provide food to those in need at no cost—entirely free of charge. #What else? I would like to thank Chevening Awards for the opportunity to be in the UK, enriching my academic background while also exploring the many opportunities the country has to offer. A special thanks also to The Global FoodBanking Network for facilitating this connection and for its hard work in strengthening food banking at a global level. #Cheveningjourney #Chevening