Application

Food donations

How real-time data and market design help allocate donations more fairly and reduce waste.

269 of 975

food banks in Germany are connected to the eco-Plattform (2026)

265,000 t

of food rescued by German food banks each year

2019–2026

two projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Approach Projects Materials Publications

Starting point

The problem

Food banks depend on donations from retailers and producers whose quantity and type are hard to predict. Some outlets receive more than they can distribute while others have too little. What is not passed on in time goes to waste.

Approach

The solution

A shared digital platform makes donation offers visible in real time. Surpluses can then be redistributed between outlets at no extra cost: needs are met more equitably and less food is wasted.

The approach

Report offers. Retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers report surplus food as soon as it arises.
Match needs. The platform makes offers visible to the outlets that need them and can collect them.
Redistribute. Surpluses go where need is greatest, at no extra cost.

One model is the US organisation Feeding America, where regional food banks bid for large donations using an internal currency; the resulting prices reveal where which foods are needed. After its introduction, total donations rose substantially.