Category Workshop
1 challenge on circular economy, 10 hours of bootcamp, 5+1 professionals, 1234 ideas… Let’s make a difference!
How can we, using digital tools, encourage people to consume food resources in a sustainable way?
Once again, digital technology has allowed things to keep moving forward: last Thursday, I had my first experience with an entirely online workshop organized by PwC Italy in collaboration with Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus, Conad and Milano Digital Week…I can say that the atmosphere recreated digitally was very close to that of an in-person event: I met new professionals, listened to innovative ideas, analyzed, designed, and most importantly, had fun while recharging my energy with fresh insights!
Starting from the presentations by the mentors Anna Scavuzzo, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Milan and delegate for Food Policy, Giuseppe Zuliani, Director of Customer Marketing and Communication at Conad, and Vittore Mescia, Operations Manager at the Banco Alimentare Foundation Onlus, who presented us with business cases for solutions to food waste, we formulated several key points:
Milan is a city that aims to be socially and economically sustainable. In 2014/15, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact was established: mayors from various countries joined forces to pay the utmost attention to the connection between cities and food systems.
Three key points emerge:
Circularity of action: the effort of the individual without that of others is useless. Social value: reducing food waste is essential for living civilly. Food is a good: we must go beyond its functional value; it is a social asset. In particular, it has been repeatedly emphasized that sustainability starts with the individual and extends to the collective. The municipality is a player in the fight against waste, but what matters is the team!
This overview of Milan is crucial, as the project developed by my team (Pink Lady) has its roots in this city, the economic heart of our country...
Divided into 6 groups, our design thinking process began with discussions on topics such as sustainability, the circular economy, and the reduction of food waste at the end of its life cycle.
From here, we selected our challenge:
“Find a solution that facilitates access to excess food for those in need, while optimizing the food redistribution system from the moment the product is still on the shelves.”
Reading several articles on the topic and discussing with mentors led us to identify insights that helped us come up with concrete ideas to work on.
The main insights were:
- The data comes from the latest report of the National Council of Caritas Italy. “All diocesan Caritas report a significant increase in requests for food aid, from 20% to 50%. (How can we encourage support for those in need?)
- (…) Companies complain about the lack of economic convenience in donating, while 30% claim they have no “internal” barriers to donation. (How can we encourage companies to help those in need?)
The most challenging part of the process was certainly selecting the idea: our challenge was very demanding, the ideas on the table were numerous, and all were potentially developable.
We were definitely aided by the use of Mural, a sort of digital whiteboard that allowed us to interact remotely thanks to the use of visual tools: once again, visual design is a fundamental part of developing an entrepreneurial project!
What was the specific artifact proposed?
DonaMI: a desktop (and mobile) app connected to the management software, for all companies (distributors, restaurants, etc.) that want to donate surplus food to the Food Bank of Milan.
By donating, companies help those in need while also gaining economic benefits and data related to unsold goods. Additionally, an annual recognition will be given to the company and the individual store that makes the most donations over the year, based on a metric defined by their size.
The app is designed as a non-profit application sponsored by the Municipality of Milan and the Food Bank, so its adoption by companies would incur no costs. By adopting this solution, these two entities could raise awareness among local businesses about food waste and encourage the donation of unsold goods.
All that was left was the prototyping phase: in less than 3 hours, we divided our strengths and skills to create a prototype and a presentation.
Our pitch in front of the jury (made up of our mentors) was perfect. Our project made a strong impact because, in addition to addressing food waste, we also reflected on the issue of helping the poor, a problem that is increasing across Italy.
I want to thank my teammates from Pink Lady. We came in second place, but our DonaMI app project certainly stood out: a strategic tool that would help eliminate food surplus waste while benefiting both the less fortunate and the participating companies!
There’s only one way to do business... and that’s sustainably!
