Food banks—warehouses that collect and systematize surplus food—have expanded into one of the largest mechanisms to redistribute food waste. From their origins in North America in the 1960s, food banks provide food to communities in approximately one hundred countries on six continents. This book analyzes the development of food banks across the world and the limits of food charity as a means to reduce food insecurity and food waste. Based on fifteen years of in-depth fieldwork on four continents, Daniel Warshawsky illustrates how and why food banks proliferate across the globe even though their impacts may be limited. He suggests that we need to reformulate the role of food banks. The mission of food banks needs to be more realistic, as food surpluses cannot reduce food insecurity on a significant scale. Food banks need to regain their institutional independence from the state and corporations, and incorporate the knowledge and experiences of the food insecure in the daily operations of the food system. These collective changes can contribute to a future where food banks play a smaller but more targeted role in food systems.

Discover the history, causes, impacts, and potential future of global food shortages-a problem for all of humanity, not just the developing world. This important reference work takes an in-depth look at the geographic nature of the problem of global food shortages, helping readers to understand that while this is not a problem that exists everywhere, it is a problem that touches everyone. The book begins with an introduction to the basics of global food shortages, moves through the history of the issue, and then explains the current state of affairs. From there, it examines root causes, proposes solutions, and takes a speculative look into the future. This organization moves readers through the problem in a systematic and easy-to-follow manner, while also allowing them to explore each aspect of the issue individually. A curated selection of further readings at the end of each chapter points readers toward resources for additional research and discovery. The book concludes with a selection of perspective essays written by expert contributors. Each explores a different facet of the topic, from the potential of GMO crops to the impact of food waste. Food Shortage Crisis illustrates that the problems of food scarcity and insecurity are neither new nor confined to the developing world. They are the result of a complex interplay of issues at every stage of the process of feeding humanity, from food production to sale and distribution to consumption. Age-old factors such as poverty and inequality are compounded by new realities such as climate change. Global food shortages affect more than human health; they have the potential to cause economic devastation, trigger civil unrest and international conflicts, and change how we as humans interact with the planet and each other.

The ways in which the rapid urbanization of the Global South is transforming food systems and food supply chains, and the food security of urban populations is an often neglected topic. This international group of authors addresses this profound transformation from a variety of different perspectives and disciplinary lenses, providing an important corrective to the dominant view that food insecurity is a rural problem requiring increases in agricultural production.

In the world’s most affluent and food secure societies, why is it now publicly acceptable to feed donated surplus food, dependent on corporate food waste, to millions of hungry people? While recognizing the moral imperative to feed hungry people, this book challenges the effectiveness, sustainability and moral legitimacy of globally entrenched corporate food banking as the primary response to rich world food poverty. It investigates the prevalence and causes of domestic hunger and food waste in OECD member states, the origins and thirty-year rise of US style charitable food banking, and its institutionalization and corporatization. It unmasks the hidden functions of transnational corporate food banking which construct domestic hunger as a matter for charity thereby allowing indifferent and austerity-minded governments to ignore increasing poverty and food insecurity and their moral, legal and political obligations, under international law, to realize the right to food. The book’s unifying theme is understanding the food bank nation as a powerful metaphor for the deep hole at the centre of neoliberalism, illustrating: the de-politicization of hunger; the abandonment of social rights; the stigma of begging and loss of human dignity; broken social safety nets; the dysfunctional food system; the shift from income security to charitable food relief; and public policy neglect. It exposes the hazards of corporate food philanthropy and the moral vacuum within negligent governments and their lack of public accountability. The advocacy of civil society with a right to food bite is urgently needed to gather political will and advance ‘joined-up’ policies and courses of action to ensure food security for all.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of different dimensions of contemporary food charity. It does so against the background of an increasing number of food banks and other forms of food philanthropy. The book examines the incongruity of considering food donation as an expression of 'pure altruism'. Taking into account the dignity and rights of people, it addresses how hunger is seen and explained in rich countries and how philanthropy and democracy coexist. It looks at the relationship that exists between religious traditions and the current food donation narrative. It discusses the risks of stigmatizing food recipients, and clarifies ways to better deal with food poverty and food waste. Paradoxically, food insecurity and food waste have grown exponentially in the last decade. More and more people are not able to access food properly. The amount of perfectly edible food that is discarded also grows. The consolidation of democracies, welfare policies, and economic growth do not guarantee that all citizens can meet their basic needs in the so-called rich countries. This book analyses the current state of affairs and presents facts and reflections from diverse sources and from a cross-disciplinary perspective.

Global food insecurity is a growing issue. At a time when the world’s population is increasing and agricultural production is challenged by climate change, it is estimated that around a third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. This book examines the problem of food loss and waste (FLW) and the policies that could be enacted to remedy this fundamental global concern.

This book examines policy responses to food waste and loss, an issue of significant, global concern, with one-third of food produced for human consumption lost or wasted. Investigating food waste and loss under an interdisciplinary lens, the contributors employ a variety of methodological approaches, including quantitative and qualitative techniques, drawing on in-depth case studies and action research. The volume is organised into four parts: Understanding Food Loss and Waste, International Programmes, National Policies and Local Initiatives. The first part introduces the reader to the concept of food loss and waste, how it can be measured, its causes and consequences, and how it can be reduced. The second part is dedicated to international and cross-country case studies, with six chapters reviewing national policies implemented in France, Italy, Romania, Japan, China and the United States. In Part Four, three chapters are dedicated to local food recovery and redistribution initiatives. By focusing on different territories and different levels of governance, the book provides a detailed evaluation of food loss and waste policies, the barriers and opportunities of implementing the policies, as well as the impact they are actually having. The chapters are both descriptive and evaluative and draw out lessons for designing, implementing and reforming programmes. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars working on food waste, food policy, sustainable food systems, agricultural production and supply chains and public policy, as well as policymakers involved with developing and implementing programmes and policies to regulate and reduce food waste and loss.