On 25 August 2022, Fondazione Banco Alimentare (FBAO; FEBA Member in Italy) welcomed Subaa from the Food Bank of Singapore. First, they met in the office of FBAO in Milan and introduced the national network of Banco Alimentare. Following that, during a guided tour though the warehouse of Associazione Banco Alimentare della Lombardia “Danilo Fossati” Onlus (ABAL) in Muggiò, Subaa had the opportunity to witness the running of daily activities. During the visit, they further explained how logistics, food recovery and redistribution operations work, and how relationships with food donors and charities are established and maintained. Above all, they emphasised the importance of human relationships with charitable organisations.
The meeting further was a good occasion to share experiences and visions, as well as exchange on strengths, weaknesses, and solutions. In the course of that, it became obvious that many challenges encountered by FBAO and ABAL in the past are currently fast by the Food Bank in Singapore, which only had been established 10 years ago. This conclusion made the visit even more valuable and can serve as a base for future cooperation.
Moreover, differences as regards the food waste prevention activities and the support of people in need became obvious because Singaporean culture, habits, and food needs are divert from the Italian case.
In a nutshell, the visit inspired both sides and contributed to ideas for innovation and problem-solving. Such meetings are key occasions to grow and to remind everyone of the important work that is being done by Food Banks around the world on a daily basis.
