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FoodForward SA at the GFN Summit in Sydney, Australia

The Global Foodbanking Network (GFN) Summit that took place from 9 to 13 September in Syndey, Australia brought together over 325 leaders from around the world to address one of the most pressing challenges faced globally – food insecurity, malnutrition, and climate change.

The annual gathering brought together thought leaders, innovators, and advocates from around the globe to discuss the co-creation of sustainable solutions to ensure that Foodbanks are at the forefront of conversations that affect people and the planet.

FoodForward SA was proud to have been part of this inspiring gathering of really special people, sharing insights and learning various strategies that are implemented by fellow Foodbanks as they seek to evolve, improve, and adapt.

Our Managing Director, Andy Du Plessis had the honour of being on a panel of distinguished experts at one of the plenary sessions, on the panel, discussing the urgent need for preparedness when it comes to responding to and managing various natural disasters. Since this topic affects so many Foodbanks, the discussions were robust and there was so much interest across the room to learn more.

Andy said: “It was such an inspiration to be part of this Summit, and reconnecting with old friends from various countries and making new friends made it even more memorable.

“It was so special to connect with so many people  who are working to advance solutions to end food insecurity and malnutrition.”

“One big takeaway from this year’s summit is that while so many of us are involved in food recovery, food loss and waste remains a huge environmental and climate issue and not enough is being done, to move the needle on food loss and waste reduction on our fragile planet as an essential climate mitigation strategy.”

“It was encouraging to learn more about how GFN is working hard to place Foodbanks at the centre of solutions around climate change.”

The breakaway groups and sidebar discussions were informative and varied, showcasing the incredible work taking place at Foodbanks from different countries. It was also great to be on a tour of Foodbank Australia’s New South Wales warehouse operations and see firsthand how well they work with the supply chain partners to reduce food loss and waste.

As the summit wrapped up, all of us were so inspired by this massive sense of community and shared goals and renewed our commitment to address the challenges we face in our respective countries.

We’re also thrilled to share that FoodForward SA has been selected as one of 6 countries to participate in a groundbreaking study with GFN, in partnership with the Global Methane Hub. This study will look at quantifying the environmental impact of Foodbanks using a Food Recovery to Avoid Methane Emissions (FRAME) methodology to quantify and track real-time methane emissions prevented from food recovery.

Developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust, this study will be able to demonstrate that Foodbanks can play a crucial role in helping to significantly reduce methane emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. It’s a huge step forward, and we are very excited to be part of this important work that will help people and the planet.

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