Resources

Food Banking in Asia

Food banks collect food donations from a wide variety of sources and distribute them to both individuals and to welfare agencies, faith-based groups, and nonprofits that serve people in need.

Food Bank Models

  • B2B: Food banks act as wholesale operations serving only welfare agencies, nonprofits, and faith-based groups how in tern serve provide direct services. In France this is the model.
  • B2C: Food banks provide direct services to those in need. In the UK this is the model.
  • Blended: Food banks provide food to both individuals and agencies. In the US most food banks follow this model.

 

Models in Asia

  • Korea: Mainly B2C
  • China: Mainly B2C
  • Japan: Mainly B2B with the largest food bank, Second Harvest Japan, blended
  • Taiwan: Mainly B2C
  • Hong Kong: Mainly B2C
  • Malaysia: Mainly B2C
  • Singapore: Mainly B2C

Benefits of Working with Food Banks

For Individuals

  • Reduce food waste and cost of throwing away excessive purchases
  • Gain a sense of self-fulfillment from volunteering to help people in need
  • Meet and make new friends with a similar social conscience

For Partner Nonprofits

  • Reduce food costs and free up your resources
  • Meet nutritional and emotional needs of your clients
  • Opportunities to receive higher quality food

For Donor Companies

  • Reduce food waste and cost of disposing overproduction or excess inventory
  • Reduce impact on the environment from food waste
  • Raise employee morale through employee volunteer activities at food banks
  • Contribute to addressing food waste and hunger issues in your local community
  • Local Government
  • Reduce food loss and waste

 

Hunger and Food Waste

Realities in Asia

The U.N food experts estimated that 42% of fruit and vegetables and 20% of the grains produced in Asia Pacific are lost and wasted each year. Yet over 560 million people in this region suffer from hunger.

Reasons for Food Waste

  • Over harvest and food waste throughout the logistical flow
  • Overproduction, and product and packaging damage
  • Inadequate storage
  • Lack of awareness and confusion about “best before” and “use by” date labels
  • Logistical and stock management inefficiencies
  • Aesthetic issues with produce or packaged food
  • Excess inventory
  • Inadequate packaging