Food for All Africa represented Ghana at the GFN Africa Food Bank Conference 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, where continental food banks gathered to address urgent challenges around food security, innovation and resilience in combating waste and hunger.
Executive Director Elijah Amoo Addo and Operations Manager Nelson Agbogba led Ghana’s delegation to the conference hosted by The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) and Lagos Food Bank Initiative from November 17 to 20. The gathering convened food banks from across Africa to tackle dual challenges of significant food loss alongside persistent hunger.
Sub Saharan Africa loses an estimated 37 percent of its annual food production, valued at more than $48 billion. In Ghana specifically, more than 3.2 million tonnes of food are wasted yearly while over 2 million people experience food insecurity. Food banks bridge this gap by rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to vulnerable communities, contributing to circular economy solutions that turn waste into value.
During a panel discussion on product sourcing, Amoo Addo emphasized the power of technology and partnerships in strengthening food recovery systems. He highlighted the Okumkom Food App, an artificial intelligence powered platform improving food recovery coordination in Ghana, and called for stronger collaboration among food banks, policymakers and the private sector.
“Food sourcing is the fuel of our food bank,” he stated. “We are exploring innovative solutions, including technology and AI, to overcome the challenges we face in Ghana. We are also calling for partnerships with stakeholders to create policies that support food banks and help us reach more vulnerable communities.”
Amoo Addo noted the growth of food banking in Ghana, referencing new initiatives including the RNAQ Foundation food bank, the Ellembelle food bank and the Essikado Ketan Constituency food bank. He urged Members of Parliament leading these initiatives to work collaboratively to create a unified front in the fight against hunger.
Food for All Africa, established in 2014, operates West Africa’s first and largest community food bank. Working with farms, manufacturers and retailers, the organization rescues surplus food and provides meals to thousands of people annually. The organization’s innovative programs reduce hunger while mitigating the environmental impacts of food waste.
The conference offered a platform for knowledge exchange and partnership building. Key focus areas included addressing urgent food security needs, strengthening food bank resilience, expanding access to nutritious food and reducing food loss and waste across Africa.
Operations Manager Nelson Agbogba expressed appreciation to GFN for its ongoing support and noted that insights and connections from the conference will strengthen Food for All Africa’s work going forward. He highlighted the value of learning from peers operating in similar contexts across the continent.
The Global FoodBanking Network works with 15 food banks in 13 African countries, eight of which have joined the network since 2023. Every food bank in the network is locally led and operated, with GFN providing training, technical assistance, certification and financial support.
In Ghana, Food for All Africa has demonstrated measurable impact through its operations. The organization supports more than 8,500 beneficiaries on a daily basis and provides 500 hot meals daily through its feeding program. The organization operates mobile vans in Accra that distribute food packages to low income families, the elderly, the mentally ill and other vulnerable groups.
The organization created the Agricultural Food Loss Recovery Project in 2022 to reduce food loss in Ghana’s agricultural sector by 40 percent within five years. In 2022, less than 1 percent of the food they recovered came directly from farms. Just a year later, 28 percent of their food was sourced from the agricultural supply chain, demonstrating rapid expansion of their farming partnerships.
Research by Food for All Africa indicates that approximately 45 percent of food produced in Ghana goes to waste, often due to poor roads, broken down trucks and inefficient marketing systems. Simultaneously, reports indicate that roughly 40 percent of children in the country experience food insecurity, creating a stark contrast between waste and need.
The Lagos conference builds on previous gatherings that have strengthened connections among African food banks. Previous conferences in Kenya and Accra provided opportunities for emerging food banks to learn from established operations like FoodForward SA in South Africa, which has operated for many years and serves as a mentor for newer organizations.
Food banking represents a key model for reducing food loss and waste while fighting food insecurity in Africa, where nearly one in five people are undernourished. In 2022, African food banks in the GFN network served 1.4 million people and distributed 22 million kilogrammes of food, almost double the previous year.
Amoo Addo founded Food for All Africa after witnessing a mentally challenged man recovering leftover food from street vendors to feed friends living on the streets. This inspired him to create systems for rescuing excess food from hospitality companies to feed vulnerable populations and advocate against food wastage and hunger.
The chef turned social entrepreneur received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2017 for his contribution toward reforming Ghana’s food distribution system to reduce waste, overcome hunger and alleviate poverty and malnutrition. He also received a Takeda Young Entrepreneurship Award in 2018.
Food for All Africa’s participation at the Lagos conference underscores its commitment to building a hunger free Africa and advancing sustainable solutions across the region. The organization continues expanding its network of public and private sector partners while working toward nationwide policy changes that simplify processes for businesses within Ghana’s food supply chain to donate surplus food.
The conference discussions covered product sourcing, fundraising and best practices for food safety and storage. Participants explored how emerging and established food banks can collaborate to scale proven solutions across diverse African contexts. The gathering provided opportunities to address challenges specific to the continent, including infrastructure limitations, supply chain inefficiencies and policy barriers.
As food banking continues to advance in Africa, the Lagos conference reinforced the importance of peer to peer learning and regional collaboration. Food banks operating in similar environments can share insights on overcoming common obstacles while adapting solutions to their specific national contexts.
The organization operates Food for All Africa through a model focused on feeding those incapable of working, creating opportunities for those capable of working, reducing food waste and ensuring sustainable investment. This approach addresses immediate hunger needs while building longer term pathways to food security and economic opportunity.
