Impact
Optimised food distribution network and increased donations in 2024.
8%
food donations recieved
3x
volunteer engagement
Each year 40% of the total food produced is thrown away in Italy, enough to feed millions of food insecure families. Yet Fondazione Banco Alimentare, the country’s largest food bank, is only able to rescue 0.4% of that wasted food.
The Goal
To develop a scalable strategy that increases the volume food rescued and distributed to those in need.
My Role
Research, Strategy, UX and App UI design, Branding, Video production.
Duration
Jan 2024 - Feb 2024
Solution
The Local Chapter
Initiative that builds on FBOA's existing hunger-fighting by increasing engagement of local stakeholders.
How it Works
Raising Brand Awareness
Campaigns with local donors.
Giving visibility to local food partners.
Engaging Volunteers
Study credits for students
Monthly volunteer meetups
Digital platform for coordinated food recovery.
How did the solution form?
Behind the screens
When I first looked at the challenge, it wasn’t clear where to start, so I mapped their entire food‑rescue process to uncover the best opportunities and asked myself: how can we tackle their biggest challenges?
Main Challenges
Resources
Not enough donations to be sustainable long term.
Tracking
Ineffective resource tracking and coordination.
Competition
Commercial rivals vying for food resources.
Discovering Opportunities
Number of interviews: 8
Number of survey participants: 57
We mapped out the local key players and carried out field studies in Milan.
Key Takeaways of Discovery
1
Underutilized Surplus
Many local food retailers discard or sell edible surplus near expiration instead of donating it.
2
Need for Visibility
Small food retailers sell their end-of-life food on commercial apps for visibility.
3
Low Local Awareness
Insufficient local awareness of Banco Alimentare contributes to a lack of trust and support for its initiatives.
4
Younger Generation
Young people are eager to contribute but are often held back by academic pressures, limiting their involvement.
Analysis
After gathering and reviewing our research, we examined the broader industry context, Banco Alimentare’s operations, and our primary findings to frame the key insights.
Key Takeaways of Analysis
1
Food Quality Credibility
Banco Alimentare’s strong food quality assurance is its competitive advantage.
2
Efficient Food Bank Operations
Leading food banks enhance their transparency and improve food pickup-to-distribution to optimize resource usage.
3
Increasing Resource Gaps
Banco Alimentare is losing local resources and engagement, affecting its ability to operate effectively in the community.
4
Demographic Shift
With Gen Z joining the workforce, need for organisations to modernize its engagement and operations.
Ideation
From a series of isolated efforts to a cohesive, well-coordinated network.
Rather than working in isolation, our new system links every step of food rescue into one smooth, coordinated network. This shift means clearer communication, smarter use of resources, and a much bigger impact.
Reflections
Working on Banco Alimentare was a meaningful experience that taught me the power of staying close to users even when time is short. My teammates and I spent a week in the field under a tight deadline, which pushed us to continuously test our ideas and observe the small moments that make a big difference in a user journey. I learned that those small insights can often lead to "Eureka!" moments that transform our design strategy.
