Food Banking and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by Yusuf Abdulakeem, NHFB Food Banking Data Analytics Fellow

Food banks are uniquely positioned to address UN SDG Action Campaign 2, Zero Hunger, and UN SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. Specifically, UNSDG Target 12.3 calls for halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses, by 2030. However, food banking's impact continues beyond SDGs 2 and 12. One of the core challenges that No Hunger Food Bank addresses are child hunger. When children facing hunger gain reliable access to food, it transforms not only their lives but the lives of their families and the outlook of their communities. Child hunger programs are a proven way to improve the lives of millions of children, families, and their communities. Children must get the nutrition they need during their first 1,000 days. The adverse consequences may last a lifetime if a child lacks adequate nutrition during this crucial development window. School-age children need sufficient food to develop and thrive early on through adolescence. This leads to improved physical and cognitive development, better school performance, and an excellent opportunity to participate fully in their communities and societies.

The No Hunger Food Bank is well-suited to complement public sector social safety net programs and help fill the gaps to reach more children facing food insecurity. This Child Hunger Program —usually in conjunction with schools and other local partners—establish, develop, and expand programs that provide food access and support services to children, adolescents, and mothers facing food insecurity. These children are not beggars but rather displaced children. They never chose to be replaced. Their reality includes violence, home destruction, and the loss of innocent lives. Their only option for safety is to flee.

No Hunger Food Bank or No Hunger Initiatives (NHIs’) Temporary Food Assistance Program (TFAP) provides free food and other necessities to vulnerable children and families needing immediate hunger relief. The ultimate goal is to reintegrate displaced children and families into society by empowering them. If we do not help the displaced children in our community now, they may become miscreants. We implore you to support us in the fight against hunger.

In collaboration with national and global partners, No Hunger Initiatives implements selected child hunger programmes to enhance food access and support services for children, adolescents, and mothers facing food insecurity. Moreover, School meal programs provide breakfast and lunch to children during the school day as a grab-and-go option or in a cafeteria, classroom, or other designated area. Backpack or weekend take-home programs give children backpacks or bags of food to eat at home over the weekend. Summer or holiday food programs provide meals to children during the summer or holidays—when they cannot rely on school meals—either through schools or other community agencies. Food and nutrition education programs provide opportunities for children to learn more about different types of food, healthy eating habits, and social and cultural aspects of food and eating. Maternal health programs ensure pregnant and lactating mothers in vulnerable situations can access nutritious food for their children's healthy growth and development. Why school meal programs boosted by food banks are so essential Decades of research, confirm the effectiveness of school meals, which improve health outcomes well into adulthood. Many children worldwide receive their main meal of the day through a school feeding program. And in addition to alleviating hunger, the programs have a secondary benefit: They help increase attendance and support academic achievement, especially for girls. But there are still significant gaps in these crucial programs worldwide. That's one reason food banks are so important.

No Hunger Food Bank implements innovative community development interventions through its programmes such as: Community Breakfast, Temporary Food Assistance Programme (TFAP), School Feeding Programme, FINTRACs, Support a Girl Child Back to School Initiative, Nutrify 365, Food Loss Prevention and Donation Law (FLLPD), Fast And Flexible Mobile Pantry, School Pantry, Elderly Grocery, Disaster Strikes, Long Vacation Child Nutrition Programmes, Schoolbag Programme, Empowerment Awareness And Training (EAT), No Hunger Initiatives Community News Highlights (NHICONH), Nutritional Meals for Talented Students (N- Meals), and Women Ending Hunger. No Hunger Initiatives programmes are also presented on its website: https://lnkd.in/ece8MPKa.

Enjoy your #nohungerfoodbankingjournal Vol. 2, Issue 3, authored by Yusuf Abdulakeem . #Nohungerfoodbankingjournal Vol. 2, Issue 3 succinctly explores the nexus between United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 2030 and food banking. No Hunger Food Bank is a non-governmental organisation that deploys a food banking approach to alleviating multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria.