Foodlist helps the world to cut food waste

The problem of food waste must be solved to secure a future for coming generations. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 815 million people are undernourished.

Wasting food also means wasting precious resources. Moreover, greenhouse gas emissions from food loss and waste amount to 8.2 per cent of the world’s total emissions, approaching the level of emissions from road transport.

The Foodlist app is a unique and simple tool for sharing information about food at risk of being wasted. The donation module makes it easier for food businesses to establish an efficient food donation process with charities.

Foodlist streamlines this often time-consuming process by creating a channel between businesses and charities. Businesses with surplus food log on to the platform and enter basic information about the food and when it is available for pick-up. A message is sent immediately to local charities, which can then respond.

The company firmly believes in transparent communication and cooperation between charities, food businesses and local authorities, which distinguishes Foodlist from similar services. Foodlist creates an open blockchain showing the surplus food available in the local community.

Foodlist helps food businesses to save time and money in the donation process and achieve their targets for reducing food waste. The channel created can also be used to sell food with a short shelf life to charities. Foodlist provides companies with a complete overview of the amount of food donated, which can be used in CSR reports, for example. Additional benefits include less rubbish and lower landfill tipping fees.

For charities, benefits include less time spent on organising pick-up of food donations. The overview of available food enables charities to choose what they need, preventing food waste at charity level.

In the local community, potentially wasted food can be used to feed people in need. Reduced food waste also means less waste at landfill sites and less traffic from trucks picking up food waste from food businesses. Moreover, Foodlist helps municipalities to achieve their targets for reducing food waste.

Foodlist’s customers include Asker, Røyken and Hurum municipalities in Norway. The business model is considered scalable for use in other countries, so Foodlist could potentially be used in any country where businesses have surplus food that can be donated.

Foodlist is a family-owned start-up. It is an official partner in the SAVE FOOD Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, as well as a founding member of the EU’s REFRESH Community of Experts.