FoodCloud connects businesses that have too much food with charities that have too little It is an online platform that makes it easy for charities to get notifications of donations of food that are available in their communities.
The service has developed a smartphone App and website which allow businesses upload details of their surplus food and specify a time for collection. A text message is then sent out to notify the charities in the community of the donation that is available. A charity can choose to accept the donation and must collect it from the donating business within the time period specified. The service assists in reducing food poverty in Ireland while also reducing the amount food waste.
Start Date:
September 2011
End Date:
September 2012
Start Date:
September 2012
End Date:
August 2013
Start Date:
August 2013
End Date:
Ongoing
Link to H2020 SI Priorities
ICT systems improving resource efficiency
Climate change mitigation solutions
SI Type
Social (incl. behavioural) - This SI is the first of its kind in Ireland and creates an innovative social partnership between retailers in ownership of food supplies and charities in need of this resource. Previously retailers have been slow to engage in this relationship due to liability concerns. However this SI addresses and overcomes this issue and breaks this chain.
It also ensures that retailers revise how they regard the waste food arisings generated in their business and reconsider them ( where appropriate) as valuable resources that can be utilised to help reduce food poverty in Ireland.
SI Objectives
To engage with Irish people to think about how they can reduce food waste
To wipe out food poverty in Ireland
Saving the charities involved money so that it can be redirected towards other essential services.
Reducing the carbon emissions from the retails as less food waste is being generated.
Reducing the waste management costs for retailers as they are now disposing of less food waste.
SI Origin
Foodcloud was born from the ideas and support of Enactus (a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better more sustainable world).Foodcloud was started by students who witnessed people suffering from food poverty. This was followed by research in to this area which led to the realisation that a significant amount of food was being wasted when people in our cities were going hungry. Foodcloud is now a community-based social enterprise that brings food businesses and charities together with an easy-to –use and reliable platform, matching those with too much food with those who have too little.
SI Factors of success
Environmental - The feedstock of materials ( food) required to make this SI successfull is a critical part within this SI. Ensuring that retailers with the appropraite materials recognise the environmental benefits ( by reducing their food waste generation they are also reducing the amount of food waste going to landfill and therefore GHG emissions)
Social - The success of this SI relies on the social impact this innovation is making in both commercial business ( reducing the amount of food that they are disposing of ) and in a social capacity ( through charities). It creates an innovative social partnership between retailers in ownership of food supplies and charities in need of this resource. Previously retailers have been slow to engage in this relationship due to liability concerns. However this SI addresses this issue and breaks this chain.
Sources
Primary - Information sourced through Food Bank website & through contact with the project managers.
