FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

WHY? Food distribution centres in large urban areas face many challenges when it comes to distributing food in an efficient way, without duplicating the services of other providers. This is even more of an issue if the centres are spread out geographically and lack a coherent coordination system. A particular challenge for organisations distributing food in Catalonia is tracking the time of the reception, the origin of the delivery and the name of the organisation receiving the products. Catalan food distribution centres (like Red Cross and Caritas) have therefore introduced eQuàliment, a system to manage the distribution of food in an efficient, equitable and transparent way. WHAT? eQuàliment is an online platform that helps manage the distribution of food in large urban areas, where duplication in terms of providing the service twice to the same recipient is a logistical challenge. It is used by local governments, charities and food banks, some of which are FEAD partner distributors. The platform supports all elements of the food distribution process , from managing the list of eligible beneficiaries, to tracking the food distribution. It also helps to prevent the duplication of beneficiaries’ data; to optimise resources, to provide better and more equitable assistance, to promote voluntary services, and to increase planning capacity and transparency, as well as rigorous statistical information. Images © Jaume Roqué, 2018 Spain – Online management system for food distribution Red Cross Catalonia Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018 58