Voices from the Field: FoodCloud
The Challenge
Food insecurity and food waste are urgent global issues. Annually, up to 40% of food produced worldwide goes to waste, while over 733 million people go hungry.
Before surplus food gets to the point of spoilage, there is an opportunity to rescue and redistribute it to address the two global issues of food insecurity and food waste.
The Approach
FoodCloud, a Citi Foundation Global Challenge grantee, is working to deliver solutions to tackle these very issues by redistributing surpluses. FoodCloud’s technology platform, Foodiverse, directly connects food producers and businesses with surplus food to community organizations. This significantly reduces the time and cost of collection, rescues greater quantities of food, feeds more people and allows beneficiary agencies to create direct relationships with food donors. Simultaneously, the platform supports food companies to reduce their food waste.
FoodCloud is enhancing and expanding the reach of Foodiverse, enabling food distributors and retailers in Czech Republic, Ireland, Slovakia and the U.K. to redistribute surplus food. FoodCloud is also trialing the technology in two new markets – Kenya and Indonesia. Foodiverse has improved the app experience for nonprofits receiving the food, advanced the functionality for central food banks overseeing networks of charities in different markets, developed new integrations for donation efficiency and traceability and added reporting capabilities. These improvements are all designed with the focus of adapting the technology solution to the needs of food banks and charities across the six countries FoodCloud operates in to promote greater reach of the app to ultimately increase the amount of surplus food redistributed into the community.
In 2023, Foodiverse reported redistributing over 38 million meals equivalent to 114,339 tons of surplus food, providing food to people experiencing food insecurity, while also preventing food waste. In addition, they estimate that 89,232 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions have been avoided.
“We are delighted to have received support through the Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge to enhance our Foodiverse solution. By adding in new key features and improving the functionality of the app for both charity users and food donors, we will be able to more seamlessly serve our stakeholders and redistribute more surplus food through our technology solution, combating both the social and environmental impacts of food waste."
-Aoibheann O’Brien, FoodCloud Co-Founder and Director of Development and Innovation
One of Foodiverse’s beneficiaries is Food Banking Kenya, which piloted its use of Foodiverse in late 2023. By September 2024 the platform facilitated over 1.6 million donated meals, allowing Food Banking Kenya to grow their impact and geographical footprint without the need to invest in more transport and warehouses outside of their base in Nairobi.
“After Foodiverse came on board, we got even more help because we receive vegetables every Saturday now and I’m not stressed about when I will be getting more food. It’s a long distance from Food Banking Kenya to where I am. Now I don’t use a lot of time or money the way I used to. Once I receive a notification I can just send someone to go pick up the food."
-Margaret Muthoni Muigai, Founder of Vineyard Children Centre
FoodCloud is a Citi Foundation 2023 Global Innovation Challenge recipient. Learn more about their work here.
