Inspiration behind Table-Share🌎

In the United States, approximately 92 billion pounds of food are wasted annually, equating to 38% of the food supply.

TableShare was born out of the belief that no meal should go to waste. Our platform bridges the gap between restaurants, dining halls, and local food banks, offering a simple but powerful solution to redirect surplus food to those who would otherwise go without. At TableShare, we envision a world where the excess from one table feeds another, and where the cycle of waste is replaced by one of compassion and community.

How Table-Share Works ♻️

Image 1: Software / Technologies used.

Building Table-Share: Our Process 🛠️

Identifying the Need:

In the past month, the MSU Food Bank has spiked over 135% in demand for food. The first step was recognizing the massive food waste happening daily in restaurants, dining halls, and other food providers. We knew that this surplus food could be redirected to those who need it most, so we began brainstorming ways to bridge the gap between excess food and food banks.

Technology:

We designed a system that seamlessly connects food producers with distributors. Our platform enables real-time tracking of surplus food, allowing restaurants and dining halls to log available donations instantly. Through automated matching, Table-Share quickly connects these producers with local food banks and distributors, ensuring that food reaches those in need with minimal delays. Additionally, we leverage AI-driven analytics to predict food demand based on historical data, considering factors like the day of the week and time of day. This predictive capability helps food providers optimize production, reducing waste before it even occurs. By combining real-time tracking, smart matching, and AI-driven forecasting, Table-Share creates a sustainable and scalable solution to food insecurity.

Testing:

Our team then conducted extensive testing with a small group of users to gather feedback and refine the platform. We listened closely to our users, making adjustments to ensure that Table-Share would meet their needs effectively.

Launch and Expansion

Finally, we officially launched Table-Share, making it easier for food providers to donate surplus food efficiently! Looking ahead, we aim to expand our reach, onboard more food providers and distributors, and further enhance our AI-driven predictions to maximize impact.

MSU Food Bank

Challenges We Overcame 🚧

Ensuring Food Safety & Compliance✅:

At first, many organizations may be eager to donate leftover food. However, it is fundamental to the wellbeing of our community as a whole that the food which is donated is regulated, non-expired, and safely prepared. In order to solve this, a strict vetting process which requires all food being donated to be coming from trusted, reputable, A+ cleanliness rating, organizations and resturants.

Cultural Diversity and Local Cuisine🍛:

In order to accomodate for the unique, cultural diversity that is prevelant in communities around the world. We focus, and urge organizations to not just donate typical 'staple' foods that are nutritionally dense. But also, foods that are culturally diverse in order to please a large variety of people.

Struggles... Lessons We Learned 📖

Data is our Guiding Light 💡:

One of the most powerful tools in our toolkit has been data. From tracking food waste to predicting future food demand, data has guided us in optimizing our platform. We’ve learned that investing in data collection and analysis is crucial for making informed decisions.

Food Waste Is Bigger Than We Thought:

1 in 9 people worldwide go hungry, while 40% of food produced goes to waste. 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors in 2019, with about 60% of this waste sent to landfills. However, it doesnt always have to be this way...

Our Proudest Acheivements 🏆

At Table-Share, we’re proud of the positive impact we’ve made in addressing two critical issues: food waste and food insecurity. Every milestone we’ve reached brings us closer to our mission of creating a more sustainable and compassionate world. Here are a few of our proudest achievements so far:

Connecting surplus food to those in need
Leveraging AI to combat food waste
Developing accessible software to push for systemic Change in the food industry
Creating sustainable software systems, that push the ball forward in solving hunger

The Future of Table-Share 🚀

We plan to expand Table-Share to new cities and communities, reaching more food producers, food banks, and distributors. By scaling our platform, we can help more people gain access to surplus food, ensuring that it is distributed efficiently to those who need it most.

Specifically, we plan to reach out to the MSU Food Bank, community organizations, and food service providers to form strategic partnerships. These organizations within our sector, ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to distribute food safely and quickly to those in need.

As we continue to grow, we plan to push for policy changes that support food donations and reduce barriers to redistribution. We aim to be a driving force in creating regulations that incentivize businesses to donate surplus food and protect them from liability, ultimately making food waste reduction a standard practice in the industry.

The future of Table-Share is bright, and we’re excited to continue working toward a world where no meal goes to waste, and no one goes hungry.