Feeding the Future: The Role of Food Banks Food banks are charitable organisations that distribute free food to individuals in need. Unlike government food assistance programs, which provide citizens with money or vouchers to purchase food, food banks distribute the food directly. Food banks are typically intermediate agents that connect donors (of food or money) and beneficiaries who are in need of food aid. Depending on their approach, food banks may provide services such as purchasing or transporting food, renting premises to sort, clean, and store food, and preparing meals or grocery parcels. They may be funded by public or private organisations or a combination of the two and can be managed by a variety of private actors such as faith-based organisations and NGOs or may even be run by community members acting as volunteers. While some food banks Food banks serve as critical institutions that collect and redistribute surplus food to combat hunger and...