b'In Ireland, six times more foodisproducedthan isconsumed .As a significant foodexporter,tremendousamountsoffoodoftengotowaste.AndyetinIreland,peoplestillgohungry.Five years ago, Brendan Dempseywheretheirdonationgoes.SoifwasjustalocalmanvolunteeringKelloggs wants to know how manywithSt.VincentdePaul.Work- families have benefited from theiringoutofthetrunkofhiscar, donationofCornFlakes,thathewoulddeliverdonatedfoodtoinformationisavailablethrough hungryfamiliesinandaroundregular reports from BiaFi. Volun-Cork.Asneedsgrew,thisideateers can manage the user-friendly caughtfireandBrendanand software that runs the engine. The othersdecidedtobegintheBiacharities that run the soup kitchens Food Initiative (BiaFi) which is nowand hostels can efficiently request, one of the largest food distribution order, and see what is available. centers in Ireland.We think there are over 50,000 Far from a church program or atonsofsurplusfoodsavailablesoup kitchen, BiaFi decided to thinkinIrelandeveryyear,explains big from the start. They studied bestKarenHorgan,ProjectManager practices taking cues from success- atBiaFoodInitiative.Ofthose ful models in the US and UK. Were50,000tons,ifwecouldgetour not a food bank, were a nonprofithandson10,000ofthem,wed fooddistributioncenterwhich be doing really well in getting that isadifferentapproach,says out to charities that can use them Brendan.Asafooddistributionforpeople.WithhelpfromThecenter, we can have a greater impactIreland Funds, their work in Cork becausewehavethetechnology,is expanding to Dublin and Galway.thetraceabilityandtheexpertise. WhileBiaFiisproudoftheWecantakefoodinbulkfrom systems that have been established, distributors and manufacturers andthehumanfactorofhungeriscan be compliant with regulationsalwayspresentandisthecorearoundfoodsafety.Essentially,reason that the Bia Food Initiative we are a business-to-business ap- exists. You dont understand what proach: a bridge between 25 com- poverty is until you go into a house, panies that donate to 47 charities input a box of food on the table, and the area that need food. a7yearoldboypullsupachairPriortoBiaFisformationinandgetsexcitedlookingatthe2012,thedistributionoffoodtogroceries,saysBrendan.You charitiesintheCorkareawas begin to understand the need and often haphazard and less effective.what poverty really is.When we came along we found weThe systems are robust, the mod-filled a niche. Many companies thatel is simple, and BiaFi is tackling previously had been donating foodhunger one meal at a time. There had pulled back and stopped doingreallyisacrediblealternativeto it because they were afraid of howthrowingsurplusfoodinabin, the food was being handled. Its stillsays Brendan. We are getting that their brand on the table.food out to the people who need it ButtheBiaFimodelbenefits and we have to thank The Ireland Karen Horgan everyoneinthechain.The Funds donors for allowing us to do companiesthatdonatecanin- that. Because people like them had Project Manager at Bia Food Initiative teractwithastreamlinedsystemthe faith in us to do it, the wheels thattrackstheirdeliveriesand are now turning.providesfeedbackonexactlyconnect2015 | 23'