Global FoodBanking Network Tackles Hunger Amid Rising Food Insecurity Challenges

Global FoodBanking Network's Response to SOFI 2025 Report

On July 28, 2025, the UN's State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report revealed alarming statistics highlighting the realities of global hunger. Despite a slight drop in hunger rates, 673 million people faced hunger in 2024, and a staggering 2.3 billion suffered from food insecurity. These statistics were released during the UN Food System Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The report emphasizes that while some improvements have been noted, regions such as Africa and Western Asia are experiencing a troubling increase in food insecurity. The persistent high prices of food, particularly in low- and middle-income nations, are obstructing progress toward alleviating global hunger issues.

The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is actively engaged in addressing these extreme challenges by collaborating with food banks across 50 countries to enhance food recovery and redistribution initiatives. Data from the GFN indicates a significant increase in food access, with food banks providing nutritious meals to approximately 38 million individuals in 2024, equivalent to about 2 billion meals. Notably, emerging and developing markets demonstrated an average service delivery increase of 10% from 2023 to 2024. Remarkably, nearly half of the food distributed consisted of fruits and vegetables, which are often at the highest price point in the market, according to the UN report.

Recognizing the need for systemic change, GFN's efforts in food banking were acknowledged at UNFSS+4 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Global Compact, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Food banking has been highlighted as a viable co-investment opportunity showing how private entities can partner with non-governmental organizations to transform agrifood systems worldwide.

In response to SOFI 2025, Lisa Moon, President and CEO of the GFN, expressed her concerns regarding the ongoing food accessibility crisis.