Food surplus and the development of food banks in Africa

Food banks have developed across the world to reduce food insecurity and food waste. In Africa, thirty-five countries have food bank systems in operation. As food banks increase across the continent, more research is needed to analyze the development of food banks in African contexts. It is in many of these lower-income regions with underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of a strong formalized corporate food industry, weak or corrupt government institutions, and extreme poverty where food banks may be less likely to succeed. To this end, this paper examines case studies of food bank systems in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda to understand the logics of African food banking and the rationale for food bank development across the continent. Findings in this research suggest global food banking networks are central players in the development of African food banks as they guide the structure and growth of local food banks. Even with this assistance, most African food banks collect food in an ad hoc manner, rather than a systematic approach to food recovery. In addition, most African food banks have weak or non-existent connections with government or retailers. African food banks are also overdependent on global food banking networks for funding and technical support. In all, these data point to a relatively uneven food banking landscape, as the food bank model based on corporate surplus may be limited in the African context. Although there is discussion of an emerging African food banking network, the African food bank model remains unclear at this point.