Global food banks served approximately 2 billion meals to 40.5 million people last year, as development aid cuts, conflict and economic pressures have increased global hunger, according to new data from The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN).
As the GFN noted in its latest Network Activity Report, its member food banks across 47 countries served 2.5 million more people than in 2024, with the numbers relying on food banks now at record levels.
‘Dramatic and sudden reductions’
“Last year, dramatic and sudden reductions in official development assistance set off the most significant upheaval of humanitarian funding in decades,” commented Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Food banks – ever agile, responsive and resilient – continued to serve as safety nets around the world, connecting local communities to nutritious food, despite the challenges.”
As well as providing a ‘vital lifeline’ to communities in need, GFN has also expanded efforts to recover surplus food that otherwise would have been wasted, with member organisations preventing some 534 million kilograms of food from going to waste. This also prevented around two million metric tons of CO2e from entering the atmosphere, it noted.
Its members also increased partnerships with farmers and packing firms to secure surplus or imperfect crops that could not be sold despite being suitable for consumption.
The network reported sourcing 55% more food from agricultural producers than in 2024, redistributing 228 million kilograms of fruit, vegetables and other nutritious food that would otherwise have gone to waste.
‘Virtual food banking’
Elsewhere, GFN reported increasing use of ‘virtual food banking’ or ‘direct collection’ models, as organisations sought lower-cost ways to distribute food. The approach allows businesses or producers with surplus food to connect directly with community organisations that distribute food, often using digital platforms rather than traditional warehouse infrastructure.
‘These models are both low cost and low infrastructure, offering dynamic alternatives that reduce operational costs, bypass logistical bottlenecks and maximise local food recovery – stretching limited funding further,’ it noted.
In 2025, some 27 food banks within its network operated virtual food banking programmes. Read more here.
