How digitalization could help food banks tackle hunger

In 2022, 1.05 billion tonnes of food was wasted globally. That food was worth more than US$1 trillion. Despite this food surplus, around 783 million people are undernourished, while 150 million children under five suffer stunted growth due to chronic shortages of essential nutrients. The heart-wrenching reality is that food is discarded on a huge scale while millions go hungry.

Food banks are one mechanism to try and redistribute food that would otherwise be wasted. While food banks can’t solve global poverty, they can make an impact on a smaller scale. But the traditional operating model has some challenges. Esade researchers David Murillo, Mireia Yter and Liliana Arroyo recently conducted a study asking whether digitalization could help food banks run more effectively.

Why food banks need to evolve

To understand the hurdles food banks face, we can look at the situation in Spain. The Spanish Federation of Food Banks (FESBAL) coordinates 54 food banks and 78,000 volunteers that serve around 1.2 million beneficiaries through 6,500 intermediary organizations.

Public financing is just one challenge. In 2024, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), which had helped food banks distribute emergency food, was removed. Spain then replaced it with a €100 million food-voucher program—funded through the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+)—which took the form of a card for low-income families to buy food at participating supermarkets.

However, the researchers identify significant gaps. The removal of FEAD left the Spanish food banks’ ordinary budget with a 25% shortfall. At the time of the analysis, a dispute between regional and central authorities over governance, implementation, and funding meant vouchers hadn’t yet been distributed. Estimates suggested that only one in 10 FESBAL beneficiaries would receive them, while 50–80% of smaller towns and cities served by food banks didn’t have a participating retailer.

Concurrently, Spain’s 2025 food-waste law places greater emphasis on donating food surplus, enhancing traceability and improving collaboration. In short, this means greater pressure on food banks to operate more efficiently while leaving a significant funding gap.

While Spain subsequently reported that the scheme had reached more than 70,000 households in 2024, significant gaps remained in the food-support system. Food banks therefore continue to face challenges, prompting the researchers to ask whether digital technology could help them operate more effectively.

From warehouses to smartphones: What digitalization can change

The researchers took 12 digital initiatives at the intersection of food waste, hunger and technology and examined them. The resulting analysis suggests that digitalization could address three practical challenges.

First, it could make the movement of food from A to B more efficient. Misión Entrega, developed by the Buenos Aires food bank, is one example. They use geolocation to connect small, time-critical donations with organizations and volunteers nearby. Food donations are offered to organizations within five kilometers, and volunteers are then alerted to collect and deliver them. The app only handles 0.5% of the food moved by the organization, but Misión Entrega’s manager reported that “the app allowed us to increase the amount of protein distributed, improving the overall nutritional balance.”

Second, digital tools can help ensure surplus food is better managed. In the US, the MealConnect app identifies where there is surplus food and matches it with nearby nonprofit partners, as well as coordinating volunteer collection. Expiry dates are tracked digitally, and data analytics help to reduce spoilage. The app is intended not only to rescue more kilos of food, but also to improve the quality and variety of redistributed food.

Third, technology can have a wider-reaching effect other than just improving a single warehouse’s operations. It can connect businesses, charities, volunteers, and individuals to create a network. The OLIO app was born when its co-founder was packing food into boxes that were due to be moved, and he realized that people nearby might have wanted it. The app connects neighbors so surplus can be shared locally. HopHopFood similarly connects neighbors, retailers, charities and volunteers. The researchers say digitalization is a useful tool for changing how actors coordinate; it can do more than simply speed up existing processes.

Digitalization could also make impact visible

The other plus of digital systems is that they aid transparency and provide evidence of food banks’ achievements. Digital records can show the quantity of salvaged food, where it went, who benefited, and what the social and environmental impact was.

Open reporting has a tangible benefit because it can drive confidence among donors, partners, policymakers, and the public. Digitalization is not only a tool to boost efficiency, but also a means to strengthen food banks’ legitimacy.

When you look at the scale of the food redistribution sector, the possible benefits from using technology become clear. In Europe alone, European Food Banks Federation members redistributed approximately 834,000 tonnes of food to 12.2 million people in 2024. Digital systems could have a role to play here, helping networks coordinate complex flows of food, information, and people.

But technology is not a panacea

While the researchers’ analysis shows technology's potential for improving food bank operations, that does not mean it is a solution to all the challenges food banks face. The research cases demonstrate promising pathways, rather than proving a direct causal relationship. Digital systems can be costly, and organizations possess differing resources and infrastructure.

Digitalization can also create trade-offs. A platform may improve coordination, but using it can require skills or investment that a small organisation lacks. And while technology can support food banks, it can’t eradicate the underlying causes of food insecurity or waste.

Food banks of the future

Spain is not alone in the challenges it faces regarding food waste and sections of the population in need of food support. With increasing regulations placing responsibilities on the food system, digital technology could be one solution to help better connect supply and demand. The traditional type of food bank may need to evolve and become more connected with its stakeholders.

But it would be foolish to assume that just bringing food banks online will automatically improve food redistribution. The challenge is to determine when and where to leverage technology to enhance existing capacity to serve people, reduce waste, and demonstrate impact.