Our Fiscal Year 2023-2026 Strategic Plan

Our new strategic plan brings us closer to a world in which more communities are fed, less food is wasted, and all food systems are sustainable.

Explore our previous strategic plan.

A Changing World, An Evolving Approach

Climate change, economic inequality, and public health crises have fundamentally changed the way food is grown, produced, and distributed—and therefore, how people eat. Approximately 735 million people go hungry every night, while over 1 billion tons of food goes to waste annually, emitting dangerous greenhouse gases in the process.

Since our beginning, The Global FoodBanking Network has addressed this vicious cycle by supporting and strengthening food banks. GFN member food banks help distribute safe, wholesome surplus food to people experiencing hunger while reducing food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Anchored by our goal of improving food access for 50 million people by 2030, GFN’s new strategic plan is focused on expanding the presence and influence of these food banks all over the world. As an effective tool for relieving short-term hunger, reducing food loss and waste reduction, and addressing the root causes of hunger, food banks must play a central role in building sustainable food systems and supporting the resilience of our communities.

As the world continues to evolve, so too must our approach. Our new strategic plan meets the world where it’s at right now by addressing hunger, food loss and waste, climate change, food systems, and inequality simultaneously, not in a silo.

We’re committed to building a world where no one goes hungry.

Our strategic plan gets us closer to this goal.

Build member resilience and effectiveness.

When food banks can better meet people’s needs, more lives are saved. We help food banks expand their services, reach more people, improve food quality, and remain resilient during crises.

Build member resilience and effectiveness.

Our strategic planning focuses specifically on food banks operating in areas with high rates of food insecurity or at high risk of future food insecurity. Proactive crisis planning and response programs, ongoing technical assistance, and strategies for improving food quality and nutrition are key areas of our support.

Expand the reach and depth of impact in targeted areas.

GFN wants this Network of food banks to be as effective and impactful as possible in reaching people experiencing hunger.

Expand the reach and depth of impact in targeted areas.

We work closely with our leadership and local partners to identify high-need geographies where the establishment of new food banks would be beneficial, and we set sophisticated goals that help existing food banks refine and improve their reach over time.

Leverage food banking to strengthen food systems.

Food banks are powerful, climate-friendly tools for reducing hunger and improving our food systems. We help elevate food banks as vital partners and leaders in addressing food insecurity, hunger, and climate change at the local, national, and global level.

Leverage food banking to strengthen food systems.

This includes increasing the collection and use of data to improve food banks’ operations and to build an evidence base of food banking’s legitimacy; engaging food banks in broad food systems dialogue; and advocating for investments and policies that recognize and prioritize local food banks and the communities they serve.

Ambitious goals, groundbreaking results

GFN and its partners have provided life-changing support to communities all over the world for decades. The objectives outlined in our new strategic plan build on these results, creating healthier communities and a healthier planet in the process.

Our North Star Goal

Improve food access for 50 million people facing hunger by 2030.

Our Impact in 2022

GFN member food banks served 32 million people in nearly 50 countries.

Over the last five years, GFN members provided food to four times the number of people, from serving nearly 8 million people to 32 million people in 2022.

GFN member food banks strengthened 51,000 community agencies.

When community agencies, like shelters, schools, soup kitchens, and food pantries, receive support from a food bank, they can focus more of their resources on specialized services.

More than 400,000 volunteers provided GFN members with 5 million hours of support.

Volunteers are critical to food bank operations, providing support in person and remotely. Volunteers assist with jobs like sorting and delivering food, gleaning farms for surplus produce, caring for community gardens, and skills-based projects like marketing and operations.

See Our Impact