Description

Every day, tons of perfectly good food go to waste because it cannot be sold any longer, because it has slight defects or other reasons. New rules state that supermarkets must donate those unsold goods to an authorized association. The associations will then redistribute the food to people in need, social groceries, social restaurants and others. Picking up the food requires logistics, organization and following some hygiene rules (cold chain monitoring, hygiene in transportation and storage, traceability…)
The challenge is to create a digital solution allowing traceability of food directly from the supermarket until the end of the process, when social groceries and associations dispatch the food to people facing social and economic difficulties. 

Target

The aim is to make sure no food goes to waste in the area of Wallonie Picarde, a region in the west of French Speaking Belgium. The solution is supposed to link the supermarkets and the associations taking care of people in economic difficulties in the same area. La Maison des Familles has developed a network of social groceries, care packages and food distribution points that benefit  many local families and citizens. It also helps them with administrative formalities, provides social services and promotes social inclusion by work.  If the solution is working, it could be used in any area willing to organise the redistribution of goods that were supposed to go to waste.

Competencies

La Maison des Familles supports the families in social and economic difficulties by:

-social groceries and food distribution
- programs of social inclusion by work
-help in administrative formalities
-providing social services

The association has already developed a local network with some supermarkets and local stores. They pick up every day’s unsold food and dispatch it to social groceries. Within this network, the logistics workers (refrigerated truck drivers, deliverymen, handymen, etc.) are taking part in a socio-professional inclusion program.

Innovation

This solution would widen the offer of goods for social groceries and association redistributing goods to people in socio economic difficulties. It will enable a more systematic and efficient way of connecting different stakeholders and achieving greater impact in the region. 
It will allow a quick reaction between the different actors of the chain, between the supermarkets and the consumers, which is a real progress, since the food products usually targeted have very short consumption dates.

Commitment

La Maison des Familles has 15 years experience in managing food distribution and its logistics. It can provide feedback on how to handle the practical sides of the food distribution, hygiene rules and how to comply with it. It's members can provide contacts with the different stakeholders and know their needs. They are ready to work alongside the solution provider to make the solution as efficient as possible. 

If the solution provided is  efficient, multiple actors could be interested in using it. 

Compliance

No ethical issues.