Digital Platform for Local Food-Surplus Collection and Redistribution

Objective: To build a digital network that connects food surplus sources with local NGOs and community kitchens to reduce hunger among urban poor and vulnerable groups.

Urban and peri-urban communities in India face high rates of food insecurity, while significant edible food surplus from restaurants, markets, and households is wasted daily, exacerbating both hunger and waste management challenges (SDG 11 & SDG 2). Vulnerable populations such as daily wage workers, homeless individuals, and informal settlement residents are most affected by food scarcity, especially during economic or health crises.

This project proposes a low-cost, scalable web and mobile platform that enables local food businesses, event organizers, and households to report surplus food in real time, which is then matched efficiently to verified NGOs and community kitchens for timely pickup and redistribution. The approach leverages open data for mapping, crowdsourcing, and scheduling, with built-in quality checks and feedback mechanisms to ensure food safety and accountability.

Key features include: food surplus reporting interface, geolocation and smart routing (using OpenStreetMap APIs), real-time notifications to redistribution partners, a dashboard for impact tracking, and simple food safety guidelines. The prototype will be piloted in a mid-sized Indian city, with a working web/mobile app and admin dashboard for stakeholders.

Measurable impacts: reduction in local food waste (kg/month), number of meals served to target beneficiaries, and increased efficiency of redistribution logistics. The platform can scale city-wide and be replicated in other urban centers, empowering local networks to combat both hunger and waste sustainably.