A Digital Framework for Efficient Food Donation Management

Surplus food redistribution can be a way to relieve co-existing food insecurity and food waste. The food waste hierarchy ranks surplus food donations for human consumption as the next best strategy, when food waste cannot be prevented. However, the effectiveness of food donation in terms of the amount consumed, or food donation as a food waste management measure have rarely been assessed. The few studies conducted to date report substantial environmental savings, but the results may be sensitive to assumptions regarding substituted food. Rebound effects are also not included, but are likely to offset environmental savings from food donation. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness, carbon footprint, and rebound effect of a food donation system run by a charity in Sweden, and compared the results with those of anaerobic digestion. Multiple analytical methods were used, including material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, questionnaire, and 24-hour dietary recall. In the life cycle assessment, carbon footprint of substituted products were credited to the overall results using a system expansion. In addition, direct and indirect rebound effects associated with re-spending of substitution-related monetary savings were included. The results revealed a complex but effective network aimed at salvaging as much of the redistributed food as possible, with 78% of redistributed food eaten, but there was also a substantial rebound effect, offsetting 51% of potential carbon emissions savings from food donation. Nonetheless, the net result of food donation was almost twice the climate benefit of anaerobic digestion (-0.40 vs. -0.22 kg CO2e/FU), supporting the food waste hierarchy.

Background & Objectives Global food chains have become longer and more complex owing to the decoupling of geographical locations where food is produced and consumed. Increases in global food prices, lower levels of production in grain-producing nations and rising costs of oil, fertilizers and transportation have raised concerns about food security in many countries, including Qatar. The population of Qatar has dramatically increased from 660,238 in 2003 to 2,077,357 in 2014. As a food-import-dependent nation, Qatar heavily relies on food coming from other countries. However, reports on food security and observations of the project team suggest that food supply chains have not been re-designed to accommodate this rapid increase in population and to account for the increased complexity due to globalised distribution. Distribution of food is challenging because it has to ensure that the product maintains its quality and safety while it is transported downstream on the chain and until it reaches the consumer. Inappropriate conditions and poor handling result in food being wasted. An awardee of the National Priorities Research Program 2014, this research project aims to provide strategic input for management of food supply chains considering characteristics of distribution and consumption of food in Qatar. Methods This research will incorporate food quality and food safety considerations into distribution optimisation models because transportation of food between various supply chain members affects food quality and food safety as well as food waste originating from deteriorating quality and emerging safety risks. It will focus on operational problems occurring during transportation and storage of food and provide an estimate of the waste occurring in distribution. Moreover, it will build a simulation model to establish the link between distribution frequencies and the food quality and food safety, exploring key interrelationships among quality and safety in food supply chains. Results In the distribution of food, management challenges faced by organisations delivering food to Qatar are related to limited shelf lives of food products, temperature and humidity requirements, possible interaction effects between products, and delivery time windows of products. Food wasted at the end of the food supply chain incurs the highest costs and uses the highest level of energy because the food has already been grown, processed, transported, stored, and sold before ending up in the trash. This research project will investigate consumers' contribution to the generation of food waste in an attempt to reduce the waste originating from variations in demand. Conclusions Waste in the food supply chain results in inefficient use of natural resources such as water, energy and land through supply chain operations such as production, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal. The problem of food waste is emotive because it raises ethical issues about the accessibility of food while millions of people around the world live in hunger. The waste, cost and environmental impact due to production, distribution and consumption of food occur globally. The significance of this project lies in its focus on food waste as complementary to the ongoing efforts in Qatar for achieving food security and environmental sustainability.

The management and prevention of food losses and waste in low- and middle-income countries: A mini-review in the Africa region

Agriculture remains the backbone of many economies, especially in developing regions, where a significant portion of the population depends on farming for their livelihood. However, farmers often face multiple challenges & hurdles, including volatile crop prices, limited access to trustworthy agricultural information, and delayed or wrong diagnosis of crop diseases. These challenges hinder productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In response to these crucial needs, this research introduces an advanced AI- driven Crop Management System designed to empower farmers through a comprehensive digital platform. The system integrates real-time crop price tracking, informational article recommendations, and a powerful crop disease diagnostic tool using state-of-the-art image recognition tools and techniques. The core objective of this system is to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to enhance agricultural decision-making, reduce crop losses, and improve farmers’ access to vital information. One of the primary modules of the system is the Crop Price Monitoring Feature, which fetches and displays real-time price information for a variety of crops across multiple regions. This data is sourced from agricultural markets and government databases to ensure accuracy, reliability and timeliness of the data provided. By presenting this information through a farmer-friendly interface, the system helps farmers make informed decisions about when and where to sell their produce for optimal returns in the local market. Another integral component is the Article Recommendation Engine, which uses A.I to deliver tailored content based on user activity, location, crop preferences, and farming practices. This includes best practices related to specific crops, climate conditions, and seasonal patterns. The recommendation system employs collaborative and content- based filtering methods to ensure that the information presented is both relevant and practical. By continuously learning from user interactions, the engine improves over time, offering increasingly personalized suggestions that can directly support better farm management. Perhaps the most innovative feature of the platform is the Crop Doctor Module, which enables farmers to diagnose plant diseases through image recognition. Farmers can capture and upload images of affected plants using a smartphone, and the system processes these images using convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a subset of deep learning optimized for visual data analysis. The model is trained on a large dataset of annotated plant disease images covering a variety of crops such as rice, wheat, tomato, and maize. Once an image is processed, the system identifies the disease, estimates its severity, and suggests possible treatments or preventive actions. In cases where image recognition is inconclusive, the system can redirect the query to an expert or community forum for further review. To ensure accessibility, the system is designed with a mobile- first interface and supports multiple local languages. This allows rural farmers, who may not have access to computers or fluency in English, to benefit from the full range of services offered. Offline capabilities are also considered to ensure basic features like saved articles and past diagnoses remain accessible without internet connectivity. The user interface prioritizes simplicity, with intuitive icons and navigation that accommodate users with limited digital literacy. Key Words: mobile agriculture app, artificial intelligence in agriculture, real-time market data, plant disease detection, farmer app, a.i farmer platform.

Food losses and waste, generated across the whole food chain, implies serious environmental, social and economic costs. Lebanon suffers from lack of information about food waste. There is no national legislation related to food waste (FW). The paper provides insights on household FW in Lebanon with a focus on perceived importance of FW, attitude towards FW, quantity and value of food wasted. An online survey was conducted in the period January-March 2015 with 215 adult consumers. Sample is not gender-balanced, rather young and with high education level. Household’s planning and shopping activities are important predictors of FW. Fruits, vegetables, and milk and dairy products are the most wasted food products. Most of the respondents have a good understanding of “use by” label while just the quarter know exactly the meaning of “best before” label. About 42% of respondents declare that their households throw away at least 250 g of still consumable food each week. The economic value of FW generated each month is more than 6 United States dollar (US$) for 80% of respondents’ households. Lebanese households show a positive attitude regarding FW and are willing to change behaviour to reduce it. An integrated policy mix is needed to foster transition towards zero-waste consumption patterns.

Greenhouse gas emissions of food waste disposal options for UK retailers

Dumpster diving is the practice of sourcing discarded food from supermarket bins or ‘dumpsters’. The practice of dumpster diving to source food has emerged in a number of affluent countries reflecting systemic inefficiencies in food distribution and waste management that are common across high-income countries. Addressing these issues is critical for achieving global targets such as SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12.3 (halving food waste). This research aims to identify 1) which demographic characteristics are associated with dumpster diving practices, and 2) which attitudes and concerns are associated with dumpster diving practices. The current research analysed data of the Food and You 2 (2023-24), an Official Statistics survey. Using the data from respondents across the UK (n = 5861), a series of binary logistic regression models identified 1) the socio-demographic, socio-economic and geography related characteristics, and the 2) attitudes and concerns associated with dumpster diving practices. We demonstrate that those who have a long-term health condition, children in the household, use food banks or live in urban areas are more likely to have started sourcing food from supermarket bins. Conversely, those who are concerned about food poisoning and being able to eat healthily are less likely to have started dumpster diving. This research provides an evidence base for policy makers to take urgent action in providing increased support and an alternative food source for vulnerable groups. Although this study focuses on the UK, the findings have broader relevance for global food security. • Dumpster diving is a prevalent practice in the UK with 4.7% of adults having started sourcing food from bins or waste areas in the previous 12 months. • Those who have a long-term health condition, children in the household, or use food banks are more likely to have started dumpster diving. • Concern about food poisoning and being able to eat healthily are barriers to dumpster diving. • The prevalence of dumpster diving reflects systemic inefficiencies in food distribution and waste management across high-income countries.

The management of food waste is high on the political agenda. This study will analyze and discuss why biogas production has become the politically prioritized management method for food waste in Sweden, ahead of other alternatives such as donation to people in need. This study shows that biogas is the preferred alternative because food losses are framed as a waste issue, evaluated from an environmental and economic perspective. However, if food losses had been evaluated from a social perspective, and consideration given to the potential of food waste to address food insecurity, the evaluations could well have resulted in other priorities. In practice, there is no conflict between donation and anaerobic digestion of food waste. The edible food waste can be donated, while the inedible waste can be recycled. However, such an approach would require different ambitions and policies, which would bring actors together and ultimately improve the conditions for food donations and people living in food insecurity.

Luxury hotels have a major sustainability challenge of food waste especially in environmentally sensitive tourist destinations. This paper evaluates food waste management practices and food sustainability programs embraced by luxury hotels (three star and above) in Nainital area of Uttarakhand. Data were gathered using mixed-method approach where ten hotels using semi-structured interviews with senior managers and structured questionnaires were used to gather the required data. The research questions that the study seeks to answer are the predominant sources of food waste, current modes of waste management, obstacles to the progressive waste reduction, and compatibility to the Food Waste Hierarchy and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3. The results demonstrate buffet surplus as the most significant cause of food waste, then the kitchen and plate waste, being an indicator of overproduction in the system. Whereas source segregation is a common practice, composting, food donation, and waste tracking through technology are all underused because of infrastructural and institutional barriers. The distinctiveness of the research is the localized, empirical analysis of luxury hotel food waste management within a hill-based tourism ecosystem, which provides a gap between the global sustainability paradigm and region-specific operation reality, as well as provides practical information on sustainable hospitality management.

Purpose: The current study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a semester-long anti-food waste campaign regarding university student diners’ food waste behaviors. Originality/Value: Food waste and specifically post-consumer food waste has become one of the most critical concerns in recent years. Post-consumer food waste has also become a major concern and area of interest on U.S. college and university campuses, as numerous administrators have started considering the impact of waste within their dining operations. However, there have been limited examples of how to successfully cut down on food waste that is produced by students. Therefore, this study offers insight into how compiling baseline numbers for food that is wasted on campus and actively engaging and informing students of their impacts, can successfully help decrease the amount of waste that is produced on a university campus. Relevance to the Topic: Food waste on college and university campuses has become increasingly important to administrators and foodservice providers due to environmental and fiscal concerns. Finding ways to successfully decrease the amount of food that is wasted has the potential to both save money and improve regional waste management systems. However, to cut down on the amount of waste produced by students, they must first be made aware of their personal impact, and the overall goals of the university. Thus, by obtaining information regarding the amount of food that is wasted in a given week, and developing an anti-food waste campaign, administrators and foodservice providers may be able to recognize a decrease in postconsumer food waste on their campuses. Design/Methodology/Approach: Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the current study assessed the effect that a semester-long anti-food waste campaign had on student diners’ food waste behaviors. The project was conducted over lunch hours (11:30-1:30) and dinner hours (5-7) during the first and last full weeks of classes during the Fall 2016 semester. Key Findings: Overall post-consumer food waste decreased by almost 10% regarding the two weeks that were tested, this despite an increase of nearly 2400 diners in the second week. Implications for Practice: Results indicate that by actively engaging university students, and increasing awareness of food waste on campus, foodservice operators can potentially decrease the amount of food that is wasted, thus increasing sustainability efforts and lowering the overall negative impact on the global environment.

Food, water and energy are three fundamental areas of strategic importance that are closely interrelated for the survival of all living organisms and preserving a healthy ecosystem. Meeting the sustainable food needs and fighting hunger to ensure adequate, balanced and healthy nutrition for the increasing world population are among the top priorities of countries and international organizations. Food loss and waste are important problems globally. Food loss is defined as the decrease in the quantity and the quality of food as a result of the decisions and actions of food suppliers in the stages of the food production chain from primary production to distribution,whereas food waste refers to the decrease in the quantity and quality of food as a result of the decisions and actions of retailers, food service providers and consumers. Food loss and waste throughout the food supply chain begin at the field and farm stage in primary production and goes through a complex and multi-factorial process that includes storage, transportation, processing, packaging, retail and consumption stages. Food loss and waste vary greatly from country to country and even within the same country, depending on product type, geographical region and socio-economic factors. In high- and middle-income countries, food loss and waste occur mainly at the distribution and consumption stage, and in lowincome countries at the production and post-harvest stages. The global dimensions of food loss and waste are significant and cause environmental, social and economic risks and threats. Some 1,3 billion tons of food, approximately 1/3 of the total food produced worldwide, is lost and wasted annually. The economic loss caused by food loss and waste is approximately 1 trillion US dollars every year. Food loss and waste cause unnecessary use of 20-23% of the agricultural production area,24% of water consumption and 20-23% of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Food loss and waste cause 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. About 38% of the total energy expenditure in the food supply chain is wasted through food loss and waste. Türkiye is one of the leading countries globally that waste the most food at the level of end consumer. According to the 2021 report of the United Nations Environment Program report, the United Nations Environment Program, 93 kilograms per person, a total of 7,7 million tons of food, is wasted every year at home, food service places and food vendors in Türkiye. Studies and policy targets reveal that approximately half of global food loss and waste can be prevented, and even if one quarter of it is prevented, the global hunger problem may be solved. In this context, reducing food loss and waste will make significant contributions to ensuring price stability by reducing production costs and fighting hunger, food security and healthy nutrition, sustainable environment and agriculture and food systems through mitigating climate change impacts, biodiversity protection, efficient use of agricultural lands and water resources. This chapter provides information on the global dimensions of food loss and waste and its social, economic and environmental impacts.

Reducing food waste is necessary for achieving healthy diets and sustainable food systems due to its negative impacts on resource conservation, food security, and environmental, social and economic costs. This paper aim is to quantify the amount and types of food that is wasted by the consumers in different restaurant configurations. The second aim is to understand the reasons which lead them to waste food and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the waste. To fulfil the aims, a mixed methodology was used, including primary data collection in restaurants for the quantification of food waste, interviewing consumers and staff, along with calculating the environmental impact from the waste using life cycle assessment. The results show that different incentives and levels of interaction in consumer’s choice of food types exert influence on plate food waste. When incentive and interaction are low, the amount of food waste is larger. It is the case of a la carte restaurants. The best performance in the restaurant categories was when both incentive and level of interaction were higher. Buffet where the consumers pay by weight, therefore, is the configuration that generates less food waste on the consumer's plate. The main wasted products are rice and beans, followed by beef, and then other carbohydrates. The life cycle assessment indicated a carbon footprint varying from 128 to 324 g CO2 eq./plate from the wasted food. The result of the interviews showed that the food waste on the plate is not visible to consumers, since in the majority of cases, they believe that their food waste on the plate in the day of the observation was an exception. There is a large potential to reduce food waste by giving consumers the possibility to influence the serving to get the right portion size. Also, to further emphasize this behaviour by creating incentives for consumers only to serve as much food as they actually eat.

Spatially informed multi-objective decision-making tool for retrofitting municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Food waste economically and environmentally impacts every industry in the U.S., including healthcare systems. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Hierarchy provided the framework for this study that examined how hospitals in one rural northeastern state processes food waste. Methods included semi-structured interviews with hospital nutrition service experts were conducted at seven facilities across the state. Findings indicate: (1) food is largely disposed of via in-sink disposal processes, making quantification difficult; (2) food donation is a viable humanitarian and waste prevention strategy, but is not widely used because of litigious concerns; and (3) culinary education promotes food repurposing strategies. The discussion highlights the need for nurse leaders to inform policy makers about changes that could positively impact the environment while reducing the waste stream and hospital expenditures.

Food waste (FW) has been increasingly recognized as a severe environmental, social, and economic problem. Therefore, it should be tackled innovatively by analyzing and synthesizing existing solutions. This study aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of different social innovation measures adopted for reducing FW using a systematic literature review. After locating, collecting, evaluating, and analyzing 50 publications from four databases, we conclude that social innovation activities such as digital food-sharing platforms, social supermarkets, solidarity stores, and food rescue hubs are widely deployed in different FW reduction processes. Based on the findings, we synthesized several research gaps and proposed corresponding future research directions related to research methodology, country, food redistribution, food rescue, food donation, and food sharing. These directions include conducting research to develop suitable key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of digital food-sharing platforms, linking with specific theory to conduct empirical research on partnership analysis regarding social supermarkets, and investigating the structure of multiplex relations among different participants in the food rescue activities using social network analysis. We suggest that more keywords should be scrutinized and included when searching publications in future research as keyword selection is subjective.