Food banks across the US receive unpredictable donations. Some days they're overwhelmed with perishable goods, other days shelves are bare. Meanwhile, nearby shelters, soup kitchens, and community fridges may have the opposite problem. The coordination happens via phone calls and spreadsheets, leading to food waste on one end and hunger on the other. A real-time inventory and matching system could dramatically reduce waste and improve distribution to where it's needed most.
Global agri-food supply chains concentrate power in a few corporations, leaving small farmers and local producers without viable distribution channels. Communities lose access to fresh, locally grown food while surplus goes to waste. Open Food Network is an open-source platform connecting producers, distributors, and consumers to build resilient local food systems across 20+ countries.