Surplus food redistribution: Best practices from European countries

Abstract

This chapter illustrates the practices used by food supply chain companies in surplus food management by using the framework described in Chap. 4. Surplus food measurement procedures, organisation of the surplus food management process, coordination between different company functions for decision-making and donation process configurations considering the relationship with non-profit organizations are studied. The empirical setting uses a sample of 23 case studies, including cases from the Lombardy (Italy), Catalonia (Spain) and Rhône-Alpes (France) regions. Empirical evidence from the case studies is then compared and discussed to highlight best practices in surplus food management, specifically donation to non-profit organisations for each supply chain sector. Finally, an in-depth analysis of two cases is used to illustrate the practical relevance of the model.