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G20 member countries & 9 guest countries convene to strengthen local & global partnerships.
Aug 04, 2023

As the current G20 Presidency, India has prioritised food security by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, reducing reliance on imports, and enhancing resilience to climate change. To drive this progress forward, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) and Thinkthrough Consulting (TTC) is hosting the Global Food Security Summit 2023 under the aegis of G20 to foster cross-sectoral conversations around building a sustainable ecosystem, paving the way to ensuring ‘Food For All’.

The two day Summit will be held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on August 8 and 9, 2023, to initiate a conversation on the challenges of food security and the need to design resilient food systems to tackle the issue unfolding worldwide.

High Commissioners, Ambassadors, and Senior Officials of the G20 member countries and 9 guest countries invited by India, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and UAE, will collectively participate to spread awareness and express their viewpoints Multilateral and Bilateral Organizations - World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Industry Thought Leaders like Invest India, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), among others, will have representation in the discussions at the Global Food Security Summit.

Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network, said, 'As people around the world face growing hunger and food insecurity, we need to accelerate relief efforts and longer systemic shifts for people in crisis. Food banks provide multiple benefits like improving access to nutritious meals, strengthening communities, and reducing food waste and the emissions that cause climate change. GFN member food banks provided support to 32 million people worldwide in 2022. This is nearly double the number of people served by member food banks before the Covid-19 pandemic, signaling a sustained increase in demand for food assistance since 2020. In 2022, more than two-thirds of the food distributed was locally sourced. We are witnessing the food banking model gaining traction to improve food security and hope leaders will include this as part of the solution set in the G20 conversations.'

The summit will facilitate collaboration and partnership amongst food banks and key stakeholders. It will also raise awareness about reducing food loss and promoting community resilience.

Parul Soni, global managing partner, Thinkthrough Consulting, said, “Food loss and malnutrition is a global challenge that requires collective efforts from all the stakeholders. Today, about one-third of all the food produced worldwide is wasted when about 10% of the entire population goes to bed empty stomach. Even if they have access to food, it is either not edible or nutritious enough for their healthy physical and mental development. Through this summit, we aim to encourage food security and promote the concept of food banking that can provide food to the needy and minimise the food inequality gaps.'

Nutritional deprivation and food wastage continue to be crucial issues that plague the world and require immediate attention. Based on the Food Waste Index Report 2021 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 1 billion metric tonnes of food are wasted annually worldwide, while over 700 million people continue to remain undernourished. There could be many reasons for this such as seasonal supply exceeding demand, lack of storage facilities, unequal distribution of food, poor harvest losses and consumer behaviour.

Moreover, the global food crisis has been further aggravated by conflicts, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to a rapid rise in the cost of food and fertilisers, putting enormous pressure on vulnerable and low-income communities. This dire situation demands urgent action, which begins with raising awareness and engaging in open dialogue with all stakeholders.

Prioritising food security is one of the main agendas of the country, therefore, it is imperative to comprehend the significance of food banking which is a pivotal step towards ensuring food security Furthermore, food safety is also a crucial objective of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

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