ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOOD BANKS are tools of battling hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition by coalescing two objectives in one system: the elimination of food waste and the distribution of food resources to food insecure people. This study aims to map the food banking landscape in India and seeks to understand the challenges and potential of food banking in India. The document begins by presenting the status of food insecurity, dimensions of food security and food waste in India through literature review. Then, a mapped food banking network in India consisting 57 organizations that include food banks, NGOs that work in hunger alleviation sphere and community kitchens is presented followed by the analysis of these organizations in the network on several parameters viz. their priority sectors, scale of their operations, types of food distributed by them, their food collection channels, areas where they distribute food, their human resources and finally their transportation and storage infrastructure. Then challenges and opportunities in the food banking landscape of India with respect to food sourcing, food distribution, policy and Covid-19 pandemic are discussed. Finally, a conclusion is provided highlighting the recommendations to reach the full potential of food banking in India.
