Despite the alarming fact that around 700 million people worldwide lack sufficient food, technology and innovation are stepping up to combat global hunger. From apps and digital platforms to humanitarian organizations, various entities are leveraging technology to make a significant difference.
Isn’t it a dilemma that around 700 million people around the world lack enough food? There are one in three people facing acute malnutrition and hunger is growing each year. There are several developments to fight back against global hunger. Instead of feeding the corporate or metaverse technology, many organizations are looking forward to ending hunger.
Organizations Fighting Global Hunger
- According to Forbes, they have done many innovations that have moved people out of the hunger cycle. Moreover, they have been looking for more ideas to utilize technology in a better way and fight back against global hunger. World Food Programme (WFP) is a United Nations UN food chain that feeds around 52 million malnourished children.
- Furthermore, we know that innovation is taking place in profit and non-profit organizations now and then. However, they can facilitate millions of people with social organizations to fight hunger. Now international organizations have taken steps towards eradicating hunger with the help of innovative technologies.
How Technology has changed the game?
- You will find many apps, games, digital platforms, and humanitarian organizations that help in fighting global hunger.
- Additionally, food prices have been reduced due to improvements in the field of artificial intelligence AI, blockchain, and data analytics.
- With many advancements in the field of chemistry, you can grow crops in arid regions on a reduced price basis.
- Apart from that, technology is fighting famine through innovative solutions.
- Eradicating hunger has become a goal. Overall, technology and innovation are playing a good role in feeding millions of refugees.
- Since the pandemic Covid-19 hit the world, there is a massive fight back against hunger. You will find many new developments in this regard.
What are Innovative Technologies to Combat Hunger?
Let’s explore more about these innovative technologies.
- Minimizing Food Waste:
In the last decade, there are two apps MealConnect and Means Database, making rounds around the world. These are two food rescue apps, which have saved a large amount of food during the last decade. MealConnect and Means Database are U.S based tools and researchers have confirmed that one-third of food goes waste in America.
Therefore, these innovations have been rescuing food pantries to feed families in need.
- Food Pantries feeding with dignity:
Another app named OverAhead is working on the same idea as grocery stores. It allows you to pick the most needed food items from pantries and after sharing your location, you will have it at your doorstep. Isn’t it an amazing way to feed people and stop wasting food items?
OverAhead is indeed the best, fastest, and easy way to feed America and fulfill its necessities. After choosing food from the available stock register and confirming to receive free groceries. People with easy access to the internet and mobile service can shop from this app with dignity.
Such food pantries play a major role in eliminating hunger and poverty at large.
- Guiding people to get better Aid:
Coming on to the next non-profit organization FoodFinder, developed by Jack Griffin, a student in 2013. He came up with this idea after realizing that it is hard to find a pantry in an emergency. FoodFinder is responsible to feed people from 50 states and 45000 food pantries.
Around 2 million people have been using this app to aid them to reach out for necessities like food and water. FoodFinder works on the principle due to the belief that America is a country with enough food resources, but it is wasting the bulk of the food. Therefore, it has come up with enormous food distribution to serve the needy people.
Five Apps That Help Fight Hunger
Technology and innovation go hand in hand to eradicate hunger. Moreover, the aim is to make sure that food reaches needy families in time. Some other apps, which help eliminate hunger, are mentioned below.
- Share the Meal: World Food Programme WFP is a United Nation platform that has created the “Share the Meal” platform. This is indeed the largest humanitarian agency feeding around 80 million people. You can just download this app and donate $0.5 to feed one child for a day. WFP receives the money you donate and then it shows you the passage where your money goes to the needy child.
- WeFarm: WeFarm is a digital network that is connecting one farmer to another in an easy manner. No matter in which part of the world you are, WeFarm connects one farmer with other. This app has helped around 1 million farmers without any internet globally and answered 40 thousand queries. This app is specially designed to solve the problems of farmers. They can consult their local farmer with WeFarm and ask questions related to their farm and crops.
- OLIO: OLIO is a UK-based food-sharing app that rescues, redistributes food, and expands networks to neighbours. It works on the principle of avoiding food waste and sharing surplus food with other people. Over 1 million people have joined this food sharing network or app and helped share 1.8 million food portions. OLIO is an easy-to-use app that allows you to download the app, upload a photo, and add a description, time, and location to pick up. It aims at sharing basic food items that may otherwise be thrown away. Hence, building a sustainable future with available resources is the best thing to do today.
- Feedie: Feedie is an app that has collaborated with a meal distributing program named Lunchbox Fund. Lunchbox Fund is an African agency providing meals to unserved children. Moreover, it is providing pre-education and home assistance after school timings. Indeed a strong platform for orphans to develop a skill. During these years, Feedie has participated in sharing more than 12 million meals from the app. Moreover, it has also contributed to the food sharing mechanism with the help of donations. To share a meal for one day, you need to download the app, find a restaurant, take the picture of the meal, and share it. Thus, the participating restaurant will donate money that cost one meal.
- Chowberry: Just like OLIO, Chowberry is a Nigerian online app that helps customers and organizations to find food products listed. Moreover, it allows you to sign up for the website and participate in the food-sharing process for orphans. After scrolling down to participating stores, you will find items customer’s needed.
Is Tech making the World a better place to Live?
Hunger is the outcome of several wars, climate changes, poverty, and natural catastrophes. It is getting difficult to end famine and hunger in the world. However, due to advancements in technology and innovation in this field, now we can say that life can be better.
The world is a better place with technology helping farmers to produce more food and assisting the organization to share food. Thus, technology is playing an eminent role to save food wastage and ending hunger in the world. In the end, we can say that technology is making the world a better place to live.