Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Globalization of Food Banks

by Daniel N. Warshawsky

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.
 

225 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Primer On The Concept Marred By Typical Academic Left Leaning Myopia. Quite simply, at roughly 38% documentation across just a 225 page or so text, this is one of the better documented nonfiction books I've come across in quite some time. Indeed, at times it seemed like there were citations on every sentence or maybe just every other sentence, they were that prevalent. So a lot of kudos on that end, and it really helps make the case of what Prof. Warshawsky is showing here in describing how food banks began in different regions around the world and what their current realities are. Through these sections, the book is truly a great resource for seeing just how widespread the idea is now and the various challenges each particular country and region faces in providing these services.

Indeed, the only real flaw here - and yes, it was big enough that it warranted the star deduction - is the typical left leaning (vs outright leftist) myopia common in Academic circles. Over and over and over again, Warshawsky blames corporations as only sponsoring these efforts in order to burnish their own public images and condemns these efforts as stymying truly productive reforms, all without truly looking to a more holistic approach to those very reforms or even to this specific issue. Instead, while so much else of the text is so well documented, that government providing these services is better than private efforts is seen more as a fait accompli never to be questioned or even examined.

So read this text, it really is quite remarkable so far as it goes. But don't let its limitations limit your own imagination. There likely are better solutions to these issues out there - but assuming any one approach will work globally probably isn't going to work, for the very reasons Warshawsky illuminates here. Very much recommended.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the University of Iowa Press for the digital ARC of this book.

This is a well-researched book about food banks and their role as a food source for people experiencing food insecurity. It effectively discusses the concept of food deserts, government attempts to cut funding for programs like SNAP and WIC in the United States, and how many institutions view food banks as a solution to both food waste and food insecurity, despite the potential limitations.

The book addresses global issues surrounding food banks and food insecurity in various countries, highlighting different approaches taken worldwide while attempting to emulate the structures of the United States and Europe. It acknowledges that what works in some places may not be applicable in others, such as India, where the food bank system needs adjustments due to the less prominent role of shelf-stable foods in daily consumption.

I learned not only about food banks but also about the reasons behind the US government's support for them, driven by corporate funding. Despite this, the book emphasizes that food banks alone are not the solution to food insecurity. Federal and State funds are still needed to address food, housing, job, and transportation insecurity. It sheds light on the unfortunate reality that food is not recognized as a basic human right in a majority of the world.

I recommend reading this book if you want to delve into the intricacies of the food bank system in the United States and globally, understanding why governments favor food banks despite their limitations in addressing broader issues of insecurity.

The Publication date for this book is 1/2/2024

[Autumn H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book is really informative and important, it’s not something you could read over and over again. It gets pretty repetitive and dry, to the point where it feels more like a thesis or reference for academics rather than hard hitting non-fiction journalism that could reach the masses and influence change.

Other than the writing style, I wish more voices were included rather than multiple European countries facing the same issues in every chapter. Without hearing from the people themselves, it feels like an imbalanced bird’s eye view and missed opportunity. Ironically, including the food insecure in the global food system is highlighted as a key takeaway yet the book excluded them too. So it would be really cool to hear how the food bank system is being received and experienced on the ground in these countries and others rather than all the facts, figures, and statistics. I really enjoyed the Israel, South Africa, and India chapters so I’m glad I read the book but the search continues in terms of firsthand accounts and stories of food insecurity around the globe.

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

An academic text, whose title reads like a checklist of the content, Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Globalization of Food Banks explores the global system of food banks in the twenty-first century.

After an introductory chapter, Daniel Warshawsky details the United States food bank system, each chapter that follows looks at the food systems in two nations or regions. For each one, Warshawsky notes the foundation of the organization, sources of food and distribution locations and the challenges of both the 2007-08 Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The latter was of particular importance in emphasizing Warshawsky’s point about the food banks not being enough to address food insecurity.

This book is definitely for those working in or researching food issues. It is a succinct, and at times dry, survey history detailing the development of food banks individually and as part of global organizations. The book details the ways corporation use food banks to handle food waste and appear charitable, but that the resources allocated to food banks are not enough. In the regions of most affluence food banks have the most resources, but a key weakness in their usage is a lack of distribution to reach areas of most need.

An interesting point that comes up in most chapters is the effect of one, or a small group, of individuals in establishing a food bank based on their own experiences or commitment to reducing waste. Warshawsky includes lots of statistics to make this point, emphasizing the amount of food wasted in each nation/region. In discussing the food bank sites, he also demonstrates them as more than just warehouses, as some are integral to their community also serving as centers or places of public art.

Recommended for those shaping public policy, working in any aspect of the food industry and researchers of the food industry or global systems. Not recommended for the general reader.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.