LAST MINUTE MARKET. INCREASING THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE OF UNSOLD PRODUCTS IN THE FOOD CHAIN

For different reasons, the developed economies produce a growing quantity of food surplus, in every single phase of the food chain, starting from the agricultural production and ending with the retail system. Basically, this surplus is made up of products not saleable for several reasons (close to the expiry data; defects/damages in packaging, etc..), but still safe to eat. At the end, it represents an economic cost for the firm, and an environmental cost for the society. Objectives The objective is linking surplus (“non-supply”) and deficit (“non-demand” as poor people, without purchasing power) creating direct contact among the two parts without additional logistics infrastructures, but optimising the available resources. The mechanism is focused on timing and proximity criteria, providing support in managing sanitary-health issues, tax-related issues, logistics, nutritional issues and marketing. New results The system allows the transfer of perfectly eatable unsold food products (otherwise transported and destroyed elsewhere) from a shop to few charities. By providing a cost-effective service for both profit (food shops) and non-profit (charities) organizations, the model resulted is presented as economic and logistic service for the firm, useful from a social point of view, environmentally sustainable. Thus, the model was extended to a variety of products: catering, agricultural products. significance of the work minimisation of waste, saving recovery costs, alleviation of poverty