The Second Life of Food: When Social Marketing Bridges Solidarity and Waste Prevention

Debra Z. Basil

Gonzalo Diaz-Meneses

Michael D. Basil Editors

Social Marketing in Action

Cases from Around the World

TheSecondLifeofFood:WhenSocial MarketingBridgesSolidarity

andWastePrevention

TheCaseoftheItalianFoodBank

KseniaSilchenko,FedericaSimonettiandGiacomoGistri

ChapterOverview

Buildingonthesocialecologicalframework,thecaseoftheItalianFood Bankshedslightonhowmulti-levelsocialmarketingstrategiesandsynergisticcollaborationsbetweenvariousgroupsofstakeholderscouldcreatean enablingenvironmentforchangethateventuallybenefitstheindividuals, communities,environment,andsocietyatlarge.TheItalianFoodBankhas beenrecoveringthefoodthatwouldotherwiseendupinlandfillsinorderto redistributeittocharitableorganizationsforthebenefitofthoseinneedsince 1989.Itfurthertakesanactiveroleinpublicpolicyadvocacy,spreadingthe bestindustrypracticesandpublicawareness-raisinginitiativesaimedat curbingfoodwasteincollaborationwithfoodproducers,retailers,public institutions,andothernon-profits.Inthisway,bybridgingtwourgentsocial problems foodwasteandfoodinsecurity aswellasconnectingpublic, non-profit,andfor-profitorganizations,iteventuallytransforms “food recovery” fromacosttoamultipliedvalue,thuscreatingawin–winanda virtuouscircleforallstakeholdersinvolved.

K.Silchenko(&) F.Simonetti G.Gistri

DepartmentofPoliticalSciences,CommunicationandInternationalRelations, UniversityofMacerata,Macerata,Italy

e-mail: k.silchenko@unimc.it

F.Simonetti

e-mail: f.simonetti4@unimc.it

G.Gistri

e-mail: giacomo.gistri@unimc.it

© SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2019

D.Z.Basiletal.(eds.), SocialMarketinginAction, SpringerTextsinBusinessandEconomics, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13020-6_7

Theory

Changeofbehaviorisacomplexprocess,whereindividualwillpoweraloneisoften notsufficienttoleadtoarelevantandsustainableimprovementofindividualand socialwelfare.Inaresponsetocriticismofsocialmarketingapproachesbeing predominantlyfocusedontheindividual(Basil, 2015;Helmig&Thaler, 2010; Rothschild, 1999),therangeoftheoreticalframeworksappliedtosolvingthe problemsofconcerntosocialmarketinghasbeenexpandingtoembracewider socio-environmentalperspectives.Inparticular,asocialecologicalapproachhas beenproposedasaframeworkusefulindesignandplanning(Collins,Tapp,& Pressley, 2010),aswellasexecutionandevaluation(Gregsonetal., 2001;Lindridge,MacAskill,Gnich,Eadie,&Holme, 2013)ofsocialmarketingstrategies. OriginatingfromtheecologicaltheorydevelopedbyBronfenbrenner(1974),social ecologicalframeworkessentiallyfocusesonhowbehavioranditschangeare simultaneouslyaffectedbymultiplelevelsofinteractionandsocialcontexts(Collinsetal., 2010;Gregsonetal., 2001;Lindridgeetal., 2013).First,atthe microsystem level,wearetalkingaboutdirectandimmediate,oftenface-to-face interpersonalinteractionsandrespectivesocialrolesthataffectone’sbehavior. Second,the mesosystem levelrepresentslinksbetweenmultiplemicrosystemsin whichbehaviorcanbeaffectedbysocialrulesandformalstructures.Third, exosystems representaspectswithinwidersocialstructuresthatgobeyondindividual controlorinvolvement(e.g.,policy,economicfactors,themedia,materialstructures,andfacilities)andthusimpactbehaviorsindirectly.Forth, macro-systems or generalizedsocioculturalfactorsrepresentanoverarchingconfigurationofbehaviorswithinacertaincultureandfunctioningatthelevelofbeliefsystems,customs, lifestyles,etc.Another,slightlylessprominent,elementfromBronfenbrenner’s originalecologicaltheory, chronosystem,focusesonthecomponentoftemporality, transitions,andsequencesofevents,whichinasocialmarketingperspective suggeststhateffortsorientedatbehaviorchangeneedtobefairlyregularor otherwiseconsistentoverextendedperiodsoftime(Shaw, 2014).

Socialmarketingstrategiesthatarebasedonthesocialecologicalframeworkthus stressnotonlytheimportanceoftakingintoconsiderationvariouseconomic,environmental,andsocialinfluencesrelevantforatargetedbehaviorchange,butalsothe needtodesignmultiple-componentprogramsconsistingofinterventionsonmultiple levelsofsocialenvironmentsthatworkinacomplementaryandsynergisticmanner (Moore,deSilva-Sanigorski,&Moore, 2013).Thiscanbeachievedbyinvolvinga widerrangeofstakeholdersandestablishingclosercollaborationsbetweencommunity,social,institutional,andpolicyapproaches(Lindridgeetal., 2013).

Inthisstudy,buildingonthesocialecologicalframework,wepresentthecaseof amulti-levelinitiativebytheItalianFoodBankthatcreatesanenablingenvironmentforchangebysynergisticallyaddressingtwovitalsocialproblemsandconnectingvariousgroupsofstakeholders.

CampaignBackground

TwoGlobalProblemsoftheFoodDomain

Nowadays,theworldlivesaparadoxicalsituationwhenitcomestofood.Onthe onehand,aboundingwarningsabouttheobesityepidemicsuggestthatthemost challengingandurgentproblems,atleastintheWesternworld,arelinkedtothe affluentdietsandtheoverallabundanceoffood.Theotherfaceofabundanceof choiceistheso-calledsurplusfoodissue,i.e.,generationofstocksofediblefood productsthatforvariousreasonsarenotpurchased,consumed,orotherwise(re) usedandthusgotowasteatdifferentstagesofthefoodsupplychain(Garrone, Melacini,&Perego, 2012).Foodwasteamountstoabout1.3billiontonsglobally andabout88milliontonsinEurope.Translatedinpercapitarates,consumersin EuropeandNorthAmericathrowawayaround95–115kgoffoodperyear.The costsofsuchlossesareestimatedatUS$680billioninindustrializedcountries and €143billioninEuropeanUnionalone(EuropeanCommission, 2012; FAO, 2011).

Ontheotherhand,foodpovertyandinsecurityarefarmorecommonthan usuallythoughtabout.Thoughoutof815millionpeopleintheworldthatgo hungry,onlyasmallshareisinEuropeandNorthAmerica,mildercasesoffood insecurity,suchasworryingaboutobtainingfood,compromisingqualityand variety,reducingquantitiesorskippingmeals,aregettingmoreandmorecommonplace(FAO,IFAD,UNICEF,WFP,&WHO, 2017).InEurope,forinstance, 23.7%ofthepopulation(ca.119millionpeople)areconsideredatriskofpoverty orsocialexclusionandsomeofthem(ca.8%ofthepopulation)liveinsuchastate ofmaterialdeprivationthattheycannotaffordaqualitymealeverysecondday (Eurostat, 2015).

Thetwofoodproblemshaveasignificantimpactontheindividualsandon social,economic,andenvironmentalwelfareandthereforearetheobjectsofpublic policyconcern,non-profitorganizations’ work,aswellasnumeroussocialmarketinginitiatives.Withdifferenttargetsforbehavioralchangeoutcomes,thetwo problemsareoftenaddressedbydifferentsetsofinitiatives.Incontrast,anumberof organizationsaroundtheworld,knownasfoodbanks,treatthetwoproblemsasa sourceofmutualbenefitandimplementthemissionofreducingfoodinsecurity throughthe fightagainstfoodwaste.Thiscasewillfocusononeofsuchorganizations’ socialmarketingefforts theItalianFoodBank, BancoAlimentare.1

1ThecaseisbasedonthedocumentsavailablefromtheItalianFoodBankanditspartners’ websites,massmedia,policydocumentation,andotherinformationkindlyprovidedbythe Secretary-General,LiaisonOfficertotheSecretary-GeneralforEUandInternationalRelations, andCommunicationManagerofthe FondazioneBancoAlimentareOnlus.

BancoAlimentareInitiative:ReducingFoodInsecurity ThroughtheFightAgainstFoodWaste

BancoAlimentare wasestablishedasanon-profitorganizationin1989,following inthestepsofthe firstfoodbanksintheUSA(1967),France(1984),andSpain (1987)withthepurposeofrecoveringthefoodthatwouldotherwiseendupinthe landfillsinordertoredistributeittothecharitableorganizationsforthebenefitof thoseinneed.Morespecifically,itcoordinatestherecoveryofsurplusfoodatall stagesofthefoodsupplychain(agricultureandprimaryproduction,foodprocessing,distribution,retail,andfoodservice)anditstransportationtotheregional foodbanks,wherefoodiscontrolled,selected,andreconditionedwhennecessary, andthenredistributedtothenetworkofcharitableorganizations(foodpantries, soupkitchens,etc.)locatedallaroundItalyandinconstantdirectcontactwiththe localcommunities.

Since2008,thecoordinationofthenetworkconsistingof21regionalfoodbanks iscarriedoutbytheMilan-basedFoundation(FondazioneBancoAlimentare Onlus).Asasecond-levelentity,theFoundationcarriesouttheoverallguidance andcoordinationofthenetworkincludinglogistics, financing,legalaspects,and publicpolicyadvocacy,aswellassocialmarketingactivities,whilethelocalfood banksestablishcloserandmorepersonaltieswiththelocalpopulationsand frontlinecharitableorganizations.Asof2016,the BancoAlimentare network providesfoodtoover8035charitableorganizationsthatintheirturnreacharound 1.6millionofpeopleinthestateoratriskoffoodpoverty.

Startingfromitsearliestdays, BancoAlimentare wasorientedatbridgingthe gapbetweentheindustryandtheworldofnon-profits.Insteadoftargetingon–off donations,itpreferredtoinvestintoestablishinglong-termrelationshipsbetween charitableorganizationsinneedoffoodsupplyandthefoodbusinessoperatorsin possessionofsurplusdestinedtoendupinthelandfills.Bydemonstratingsensibilitiesforawholerangeofhuman,societal,economic,andenvironmentalissues, theItalianFoodBankmanagedtobuildastrongintersectorialnetworkofvarious stakeholdersengagedatanumberoflevelsandindifferentcontexts.

SWOTAnalysis(Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities, Threats)

Strengths

BancoAlimentare’smulti-levelapproachisuniquelypositionedtoaddressseveral food-relatedissuesthroughadouble “win–win” logic:Whileitprovidesfood resourcesforthecharitableorganizationsforfree,italsoenablestheactorsalong thefoodsupplychaintoreducetheirfoodwaste,optimizetheirinventories,minimizetheirdisposalcosts,benefitfromtaxdeductionsand fiscalincentives,and strengthentheirreputation(withconsumersandstakeholders).Inotherwords,it contributestoreducingtheoverallfoodwasteanddirectlyhelpsthevulnerable

individualsbyprovidingfood,whichisalsoa firststeptowardsocialinclusion (Riches, 2002).

Anotherstrengthliesin BancoAlimentare’sstrongandlastingrelationshipswith volunteers,public,non-profit,andfor-profitorganizationsbothoninterpersonaland institutionallevels.

Theextendednetworkofregionalfoodbankscoordinatedby BancoAlimentare isadvantageousnotonlyfromtheperspectiveoflogistics,butalsoinarelational perspectiveasregionalhubstakeadvantageofmoredirectpersonalnetworkswith localcommunitiesandcharitableorganizations.

Weaknesses

Theamountandthetypologyoffoodproductsavailableforrecoveryandredistributioncoordinatedby BancoAlimentare areconstrainedbyanumberoflegal, operational,andtransportationfactors.Moreimportantly,theamountofredistributedfooddestinedforhumanconsumptionisonlyasmallfractionoftheoverall volumeofsurplusfood,mostofwhichstillgoestowaste.InItaly,outof 5.6milliontonsofsurplusfood,91.4%or5.1milliontonsgoestowaste(Garrone, Melacini,&Perego, 2015).

Asisthecasewithotherfoodbanks(Tarasuk&Eakin, 2005), BancoAlimentare isdependentonpartnerorganizationsonboththedonationanddistributionsides.

Opportunities

BancoAlimentare operatesinamacro-contextofincreasingfoodpovertyinneed forcollectiveaction:Italyisoneofthecountriesthatoverindexes(vs.theEU average)ontheriskofpovertyorsocialexclusionwith30%ofthepopulationbeing atrisk(around18millionin2016,+1.3%from2015)(Istat, 2016).

Culturally,thereisgrowingsocialconsciousnessmanifestingincompanies’ CSRinitiatives,increasinglytreatedasamatterofbusinesses’ economicsurvival (Lubin&Esty, 2010),ontheonehand,andgrowingawarenessinthegeneral populationaboutfoodwasteanditssocial,economic,andenvironmentalimplications,ontheother(EuropeanCommission, 2012).

Theopportunityattheexosystemlevelischaracterizedbyafavorablelegal climateorientedatfosteringthesurplusfooddonationsviaincentivesandoverall simplificationofthedonationprocessforthefoodbusinessoperatorsinItaly.2

Threats

Onthemacro-level,theawarenessoffoodpovertyindevelopedcountrieslikeItaly lagsbehindawarenessaboutfoodwaste(FAOetal., 2017).

Theproportionofsurplusfoodandthedegreeofitsrecoverabilityvaries accordingtothedifferentstagesofthefoodsupplychainandthedifferentcategoriesofproductsandthuscreatesdifferentlevelsofcostsandbarriersforinterventionsandbehaviorchange.

2ComparetotheFrenchexamplebasedonpenalizationsinstead(Chrisafis, 2016).

Stringentcriteriaforfoodsafety,foodhygiene,consumerinformationandliability,andotherlegalandoperationalbarriersontheexosystemlevelrestrictsurplusfoodrecoverabilityandincreasethecomplexityofredistributionoperations.

TargetAudience

Asamulti-level,multifaceted,andmulti-siteinitiative, BancoAlimentare targets variousgroupsofstakeholders.Itsprimarytargetconsistsofthefoodbusiness operators,basedonthefactthattheyproduce57%offoodsurplus(ofwhich64%in primaryproduction,5%infoodprocessing,24%inretailanddistribution,and7% infoodservice)and,unlikehouseholdsresponsiblefortheremaining43%,provide betteropportunitiesforrecoverability understoodastheabilitytorecoverfood thatissafeforhumanconsumptionusingtheminimumlevelofintervention (highestforfoodprocessingandretailsectors)(Garroneetal., 2015).Asof2016, BancoAlimentare workswith1387foodcompanies,929retailers,and367foodserviceoperatorsthatregularlydonatetheirsurplusfoodandsupportitsoperations inotherways.

Inordertosupportthechangeofbehaviorforitsprimarytarget, BancoAlimentare alsotargetsthosewhomoreorlessdirectlyinfluencewhetherornotfood businessesintervenetocurbfoodwastebydonatingfoodsurplusforthebenefitof peopleinneed.Ontheonehand,followingtheexosystemlogic, BancoAlimentare investsintherelationshipwithpublicinstitutionsforthesakeofpromoting food-relatedpoliciesandlegislationatthenationalandtheEUlevel.Asaresultof policyadvocacy,theItalianFoodBankcontributedtoLawNo155/2003,the so-calledGoodSamaritanLaw,whichenabledthelaunchofthe Siticibo program thatrapidly(within24hfromthe firstpreparation)recoversandredistributes chilledfoodproductsandready-to-eatmealsfromfoodservicevenuestosoup kitchens.In2016alone,theprogramredistributed326tonsoffruitandvegetables, and1188,466portionsofreadymeals(178tons),whichwassimplynotpossible withoutthepolicy.Morerecently,thankstotheLawNo166/2016,knownasthe “GaddaLaw,” thenetworkoffoodservicepartnersforready-to-eatmealrecovery wasexpandedtoincludefastfoodrestaurantsandcruiseships.

Ontheotherhand,andfromamoremacro-perspective, BancoAlimentare pursuesoverallsocialmobilizationinregardtobothfoodwasteandfoodinsecurity issues.InthetimesofubiquitousappealofCSRandtriplebottomlineorientation,3 moreandmorebusinessoperatorsinthefoodsupplychainareguidedbyconsumer valuesandaspirationsinregardtosocialjusticeandenvironmentalsustainability, whichmakesincreasedpublicawarenessapragmaticargumentusedtoconvince

3Theterm “triplebottomline” (Elkington, 1997)referstomanagerialimperativetoreorientfrom solelyprofit-andshareholder-orientationtowardgenerationofstakeholdervalueandmanaging simultaneouslyforcompany’stotalsocial,environmental,andeconomicimpact.Toachievesuch “triplebottomline” goal,companiesengageincorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)activities consideredtodayasaformofethicalaccountability(Roberts,2003,p.256cit.inHerrick, 2009).

moreandmorefoodbusinessestoadhereto BancoAlimentare’sinitiative.Moreover,itcreatesaculturalclimatethathelpspromoteandenablechangeinthe directionofanti-wasteandsocialinclusionbehavior.

SocialMarketingObjectives

BancoAlimentare conceivesofitsmainobjectiveasconsistingoffourambitious dimensions.First,itscoreobjectiveintermsof socialbenefit istoalterthetypical behavioroffoodbusinessesandsaveediblesurplusfoodfromwastebygivingita “secondlife” inthehandsofcharitableorganizations.Second,fromtheperspective of economicsustainability,fooddonationsfacilitatedbythefoodbanks’ network enablerecirculationofvaluewithintheeconomicsystemandoptimizationof spendingbehaviorbybothprofitandnon-profitorganizations.Thoughfood companiesgiveawaytheirproductswithoutanycompensation,theygainmaterial (savedcostsofstorageanddisposal)andimmaterial(reputation)value.Thecharitableorganizationsthatreceivefooddonationsforfreethencanalsoinvestthe savedfundsintotheimplementationofotherneededsocialinitiatives.Third,by restructuringtheoverallfoodsupply flowsandpreventingfoodwaste, Banco Alimentare aimsatoverallenergyconservationandreductionofharmfulCO2 emissionsasan environmentalbenefit.Finally,theoverarching educationalgoal of thefoodbanks’ operationsistoraiseawarenessaboutfoodwasteandfoodpoverty andfosteracollectiveactioninordertoaddressbothofthem.Onamoralisticlevel, sucheducationaimsatthepromotionofsolidarityandsocialcoherence.Thefood banks’ networkstructurethustargetscognitivechangeandcreationofsocialties betweenavastnumberofactorsbasedonthevalueofcharity,understoodasboth anact(ofgiving)andafeeling(ofgoodwill).

Barriers,Benefits,andCompetition

Duetooperational,legal,logistical,economic,andsafetybarriers,thefood recoveryinitiativeisacostlyenterprise.Thecostoffoodrecoveryforthebusinessesrangesfrom €0.05to €0.1perkgforfoodprocessingcompanies,from €0.4 to €0.8perkgforfoodretailers,andfrom €1.5to €2perkgforfoodservice, excludingthecostsoftheFoodBank’soperations(Garroneetal., 2015).Theissue ofcostsistheprimaryreasonwhysomefoodbusinessesdonotengageinrecovery andsticktoamoreconventional(butlesssociallyandenvironmentallyadvantageous)optionofdisposal.Moreover,somefoodbusinessesarenotequippedwith technologicalorbusinessmanagementtoolstoefficientlyidentify “moments” and “places” wherefoodcanberecoveredforfurtherredistribution.Forthisreason,

BancoAlimentare’scollaborateswithanumberofItalianuniversitiestostudy “best-in-class” businesspractices4 andtopromotethemamongfoodbusiness operators.

Ontheotherhand,thebenefitsofcollaboratingwiththeFoodBankarenot limitedtothephilanthropicenterpriseofthe fightagainstfoodwasteandhelpingthe poor:Surplusfoodrepresentsaconsiderableeconomiccost(storage,disposal)tothe foodbusinessoperatorsthattheycanreducethroughdonations.Furthermore,the foodbusinessesgainfromtaxbenefitsandtheoverallboostinreputationalterms duetoastrongerCSRprofilethatnowadaysisessentialforattractingconsumers.

Positioning

Bybridgingtwourgentsocialproblemsaswellasconnectingvariousstakeholders onbothprofitandnon-profitsides, BancoAlimentare marketsdonationsofsurplus foodasessentiallya “profit-making” activity.Eventhoughfoodrecovery,on average,hasacostof €0.2–2perkilo,onthereceiver’sandenduser’sends (charitableorganizationsandpeopleinneed),ithasamuchgreatervalueranging from €2.5to6.5perkg(Garroneetal., 2015).Inthisway,foodrecoveryis positionedasnotonly “zeroingout” ofstorageanddisposalcostsforfood-donating businesses,butalsoasanactionthateventuallymultipliestheuse-valueoffoodby 3–10times,thuscreatingawin–winandavirtuouscircleforallstakeholders involved.

Research

TheItalian BancoAlimentare initiativewasestablishedfollowingthebenchmark modeloftheBarcelona-basedSpanishFoodBank.Intermsofresearch,bothtoday andinitsearlierdays,itreliesonsecondarydataaboutpopulation,itsfoodinsecurityandfoodwaste-relatedtrends.Qualitativeinsightsobtainedthroughwhatcan bestbetermedasexpertknowledge-exchangesessionshavealsobeenanimportant sourceofinformationneededtoexplorethecontextanddesignitsinitiatives.Asa matteroffact, BancoAlimentare was firstfoundedincollaborationbetweentwo expertscomingfromtwodifferentbackgroundsandwithdifferentsetsofexpertise inregardtofood.OnewasaCatholictheologianandeducatorLuigiGiussani involvedintheworldofcharitableorganizationsprovidingfoodforthoseinneed.

4“Best-in-class” foodprocessingcompaniesrecoverupto80%oftheirfoodsurplus(vs.42%on average)andretailersupto30%(vs.10%onaverage)thankstosystematicengagementinfood surplusassessment,theexistenceofformalizedprocedurestodoso,ahighlevelofcoordination betweenvariousbusinessunits,andtransparentprocessesandmechanismsofcollaborationwith theexternalorganizationinchargeofrecoveryandredistribution(FoodBank)(Garroneetal., 2015).

Andanotherwasthefoundingpartnerofthebouilloncubecompany,Star,Danilo Fossati,whohad firsthandexperiencewithfoodsurplusandfoodwasteissuesin theindustry.

MarketingStrategy

Product

BancoAlimentare operatesbythemeasureofkilosofsurplusfoodsavedfrom wasteandtransformedintoanumberofmealsprovidedtocharitableorganizations forthebenefitofthoseinneed.Onthereceiver’send,foodisprovidedeitherinthe formofcarepackagesorsoupkitchenmeals.

Theopportunitiesforsurplusfoodrecoveryexistatallstagesofthefoodsupply chain,butaregenerallyhigherincaseofproductsnearing(orsometimesexceeding)the “sell-by,”“bestbefore” or “use-by” date;aestheticproblems(productcolor, size,shapevariations)andpackagingdefects(incorrectlylabeledordamaged); supplyinefficiencies(oversupplieditems,productreturns,orshippingerrors);and unsoldstocks(outdatedpromotionalorseasonalitems,discontinuedproducts). Uponrecovery,thefoodbanksensurethatthedonationshavesufficientremaining productlifeandarecompliantwithhygiene,safety,andlabelingstandardsfor humanconsumption.

Inadditiontofood-raising, BancoAlimentare runsbyamorestandardformof fund-raising,collectingdonationsofmoneyfromthesupportersbymeansofdirect deposits,donationsofresources(e.g.,vans,boxes,foodcontainers,pallets,fridges, andotherequipment),pre-taxandpayrolldonations,orpurchaseofsmallsolidary goods(e.g.,partyfavors,giftcards,calendars).

ThefoodsupplycomesfromnationalandEuropeanaidprograms(35.4%, 23,563tons),fruitandvegetableproduce(16.8%,11,155tons),foodprocessing companies(21.7%,14,428tons),retail(7.5%,4966tons)andwholesale(3.9%, 2594tons),andfoodservice(0.8%,504tons).Asmallershareoffoodcomesfrom privatepersons’ donationsduringfoodcollections(14%,9268tons).5

Price

Aswasexplainedbefore,thecostofthebehavioralchangesforthebusinesses includesorganizational,operational,andsomemonetarysacrifices,which Banco Alimentare triesto “zeroout” (byspreadingbestpractices,implementationof larger-scaleinterventions,policyadvocacy,etc.)andtransformintoamultiplied

5Alldataherereferto2016.

valuebytakingintoconsiderationatotalofenvironmental,economic,andsocial benefits.

Thesameprincipleofmutuallybeneficialexchange(Rothschild, 1999)achieved througha “multiplicationofvalue” effectisatworkincaseofvolunteerandgeneral publicinvolvementatthemicrosystemlevel.

Foundedonthevaluessharedbyallfoodbanks,suchasgiving,sharing,solidarity,and fightagainstfoodwaste,theItalianFoodBank rootedinstrong Catholicvalues alsoembracesthevalueofcharityinthedoublesenseoftheword asnotonlyanactofhelpingthoseinneed,butalsoasexpressionofgoodwilland loveofhumanity.Targetingvolunteersthroughthesevalues, BancoAlimentare encouragesthemtodonatetheirtimeinordertoexperiencethefeelingofsocial cohesionandthetransformativepowerofgiving.

Amongotherinitiatives, BancoAlimentare encouragesitsfoodbusinesspartners tolendtheiremployeesasvolunteersforaday,whichnotonlyhelpsthedaily redistribution flow,butalsoservesasacorporateteambuildingexercise,helps spreadtheircorevalues,andbringsclosertogetherthegivingandthereceiving endsofthenetwork.Asof2016,thereare1878volunteers(and119staffmembers) whoensurethedailyoperationsoffoodrecovery,management,storage,preparation,anddeliverytothecharitableorganizations.

Place

Thecoordinatorofthefoodbanks’ operations,theFoundationisplacedatthe centerofanetworkofnetworks.Ontheonehand,itmanagesthenetworkofdonors fromthefoodsupplychain,forwhich BancoAlimentare providesasolutiontotheir foodwasteproblem.Ontheother,thereisanetworkoffrontlinecharitableorganizationsthatprotectthevulnerableindividualsandcommunitiesfromfoodpovertyandsocialexclusion,forwhich BancoAlimentare providesanongoingsupply offoodresources.

Insuchacomplexnetwork,thebreadthofreachissupportedbythespecializationoftheindividualactors,whicheventuallyenablesatime-andcosts-effective transitionofevenshort-lifeperishablefoodsfromthedonorstothoseinneed. Geographicallyspeaking,thisnetworkhasexpandedfromthe firstandonly warehouseintheMilanareain1989to21regionalfoodbanksin18Italianregions. Thenetworkisalsoavaluablesourceoftouch-pointsfortheinitiativesaimedat raisingtheawarenessaroundfoodwaste,foodpovertyissues,and BancoAlimentare’scorevalues.

Promotion

Besidesmarketingitsfoodwastereductionprogramdirectlytofoodbusinesses, BancoAlimentare runsseveralcoordinatedpromotionalstrategiesthathelp

communicateitsinitiativestothe(presentandfuture)volunteers,generalsupporters ofitscause,andpolicymakers,aswellasmuchwidercategoriesofconsumers.

PartneringwithFoodBusinessforCause-RelatedMarketing

BancoAlimentare partnerswiththefoodbusinessesincreationofvariouspromotionalcampaigns,whenconsumersareinvitedtopurchaseacertainproductand, bydoingso,contributetothedonationtothefoodbanks’ network.Asarule,the companiesmakeapromisetocontributeacertainsumofmoneyoramountoffood productstothefoodbanksforeveryitemsoldduringthedesignatedcampaign.

Thepreviouscampaignsinvolvedbothfoodbrands,suchasCoca-Cola,Kellogg’s, GiovanniRana(stuffedpasta),OroSaiwa(cookies),Monini(oliveoil),Naturelle (eggs),RioMare(cannedtuna),Berna,Carnini,Sole,Torvis,Oro(localmilkbrandsby Parmalat),Nipiol(babyfood),etc.,aswellasnon-foodbrandsandproducts,including foodcontainers(Cuki),cosmeticsandpersonalcare(L’OréalParis,Garnier,L’Erbolario),householdgoods(Viakal,Dash),cellphoneoperators(Wind), financialinstitutions(Esperiabank,DeutscheBank),andtransportationcompanies(Trenitalia).

Whilethefoodbanks’ networkisalwaysabeneficiary(notapromoter)ofsuch campaigns,theyservebothsocialandregularmarketingpurposesastheyincrease sales,recognition,andidentityoftheadvertisingbrand,aswellasawarenessof BancoAlimentare’scauses.

VisualIdentity

While BancoAlimentare doesnothaveasingleslogan,itsvisualidentityisuniform acrossregionalfoodbanks,variousoperationalunits(e.g., Siticibo)andindividual campaignssincetheintroductionofitscurrentlogo(seeFig. 7.1).Reportedly,it wasinspiredbyapictureofaroundbreadloaf(centerpiece)andenhancedwiththe graphicalrepresentationofthecirculareconomy flowoffoodsurplusfeedinginthe flowofcharity.

Fig.7.1 LogoofBancoAlimentare,theItalianFoodBank

SocialMedia

ThoughpresentonFacebooksince2008, BancoAlimentare startedimplementinga deliberatesocialmediastrategysince2013,withthepurposeofgrowingthe awarenessabout BancoAlimentare andextendingthecommunityoffollowersfrom thevolunteerstoward,moregenerally,supportersofitscauses.Inthe5years followingthesetupofaneditorialplanstructuredaroundanumberofoverarching topicsleadingtoCalls-to-Action,acodifiedworkflowandascalableteamstructure forthesocialmedia,theamountoffollowersgrewalmostthreefold.Socialmedia presenceisnowexpandingtootherchannels(LinkedIn,Twitter,YouTube,and Instagram).

AnnualNationalFoodCollectionDay

Everyyearsince1997,the BancoAlimentare networkarrangesaone-daynational solidaritycampaignthattakesplaceinavastrangeofretailoutletsaroundItalyand targetstheirregularcustomers.Thevolunteersmeettheshoppersandaskthemto contributetothe fightagainstfoodpovertybydonatingsomenon-perishablefoods, suchasbabyfood,tomatosauce,cannedtuna,oil,rice,cannedvegetables,biscuits, etc.

Thiseventisinfactanatypicalsourceoffoodsupplyforthe BancoAlimentare network(responsibleforca.14%oftheannualtotal),sinceitdoesnotrecover surplusfoodotherwisedestinedtogotowaste,butsimplycollectsregularlypurchasedfoodfromthosewillingtoparticipate.

Theannualcollectionday,however,representsalarge-scaledoubleawareness campaign.Ontheonehand,itisanotheroccasiontoincreasethelevelofpublic educationonthemattersoffoodpoverty.Ontheother,itisaprominenteventthat raisestheawarenessofthebrandof BancoAlimentare itself.Morespecifically,it promotesitscorevaluesofsolidarityandsocialcohesionconsideringthe involvementof145,000volunteersforonedayindirectcontactwithca.5.5million shoppers.Additionally,itisachancetocommunicateaboutthefoodbanks’ daily operationsandstruggles,thusdrivingconsumersonotherdaysoftheyeartomake donationsthemselves,choosebrandsthatdonatetothe BancoAlimentare network, andvolunteer,atleastoccasionally,tohelpthelocalfoodbanks.

ProgramEvaluation

ThecaseoftheItalianFoodBankshedslightonhowmulti-levelsocialmarketing strategiesandsynergisticcollaborationswithpublic,non-profit,andfor-profit organizationscouldencouragechangesincompanies’ andconsumers’ behaviors thateventuallybenefitindividuals,communities,environment,andsocietyatlarge.

FoodRecoveryandRedistribution6

BancoAlimentare contributestoalleviatingfoodpovertybygivingfoodtocloseto 1.6millionofpeopleeveryyearbyredistributingaround66.5kilotonsofproducts,an equivalentof364,263mealsaday.Overallfrom1994to2016,theorganization providedatotalof1,137,261,363kgoffoodforthebenefitofcharitableorganizations. Itfurthercontributestoreductionoffoodwastebysaving33,647tonsofsurplus foodotherwisedestinedtoendupaswaste,whichalsoreducesCO2 emissionsby 84,118tonsperyear.

GrowthandReach

BancoAlimentare’soverallprogresshasbeenremarkable.Whilein2000theFood Banknetworkwasabletoreacharound5400charitableorganizationsandprovide foodtoabout900,000peopleinneed,itisnowconstantlypresentinmorethan 8000organizationsreachingupto1.9milliondisadvantagedindividualsevery year.

Theintensitywithwhichfoodsurplusisnowrecoveredandredistributedinthe Italianfoodindustryhasgrownfrom7.5%in2012to9%in2015(Garroneetal., 2015).

TheItalianexperiencehasalsobecomeausefulmodeltofollowincaseof ParaguayanandArgentinianfoodbanks,especiallywhenitcomestofund-raising, volunteertraining,andcoordinationofcollectiondays.Morerecently, BancoAlimentare becameoneofthepartnersoftheEU-promotedLIFE-Food.Waste. Stand-upproject,whichadvancesthe BancoAlimentare’ssynergisticand multi-levelorientationatcreatingcollaborationsbetweenfoodproducers,retailers, andconsumersatalargerinstitutionalandnationalscale.

PublicAwareness

ThepublicawarenessaboutfoodissuesinItalyisashighaseverwith84%of Italiansbeingawareofeconomic,environmental,andethicalconsequencesoffood waste(WasteWatcher, 2016);58%takingactiontoreduceit(byreutilizingthe ingredientsoftheunconsumedmeals,payingattentiontotheexpirationdate,etc.) (Coldiretti/Ixe’ , 2017);and64%willingtoboycottthecompaniesthatdonot demonstratesensibilitiesforenvironmentalorsocialsustainability(Findomestic, 2017).Thoughincreaseinpublicawarenessiscertainlyacomplexenterprisethat involvesalargenumberofplayersandforces,theworkoftheItalianFoodBanks’ 6Alldataherereferto2016.

network intermsoftheinformationoutreachanddeliveringvaluebysavingfood fromwasteandhelpingpeopleinneed hasbeenofsignificantimpact.

IncreaseinExposure

Theproperbrandof BancoAlimentare hasgainedconsiderablygreaterexposure7 in thelatestperiod(2015–2017).Forinstance,itwasrecentlyfeaturedinthe nationwidepre-Christmascampaign#nataleperglialtri(Christmasforothers)by Coca-Cola,ontheonboardmealsdistributedbythemainItaliantraincarrier Trenitalia,inthenationwideCSR-focusedcampaignbythestuffedpastabrand GiovanniRana,andinavideobroadcastedtothevisitorsofthemainentrance PavilionZeroatExpo2015,theuniversalexpositioninMilanvisitedbymorethan 22millionpeople.

DiscussionandLessonsLearned

Bybridgingtwourgentsocietalproblemsandtryingtosolveonethroughanother, theItalianFoodBanknotonlyfoundawaytoprovidefoodtoaconsiderable fractionofthoseinneed,butalsocontributedtoachangeofbusinesses’ andsome consumers’ behaviorthatbenefitstheeconomy,environment,andsocietyatlarge. ThankstoitslongandconsistentpresenceontheItaliannon-profitscene,efficient networkstructureskillfullycoordinatedbytheFoundation,effectivepublicpolicy advocacy,thought-provokingawareness-raisinginitiatives,campaignsincollaborationwithhighlyvisiblefoodandnon-foodbrands, BancoAlimentare managedto growitsownbrandthatembodiesthe fightagainstfoodwasteandvaluesofsocial cohesion,andthuscreateanenablingenvironmentforgradualbehaviorchange. Inthecurrentsettingofincreasingawareness,consumerpressureforresponsible businessconduct,legalclimateofincentives,manymoresubstitutablewaysare becomingavailableforthefoodindustryandtheindividualstocontributetothe socialcausesoffoodwastepreventionandalleviatingfoodinsecurity.Forthis reason,thenextstepfortheItalianFoodBanks’ networkwilllikelybeto findthe strategiestooperateintheconditionsofahigherlevelofcompetitionamongsocial marketersforbothrecoursesandthetargets’ attention.

7AccordingtoanadvertisingeffectivenessframeworkDAGMAR(Colley, 1961),greaterexposure intrinsicallyleadstoraisingconsumerawarenessasthe firstfundamentalstepinconvincingthem totakeaction.Itisthenfollowedbycomprehensionandconvictionmindstates,allofwhichare enabledbyefficientcommunication.

DiscussionQuestions

1.Whatapproachesmight BancoAlimentare usetofurthergrowtheamount ofrecoveredandredistributedfood?

2.Inwhatotherways(beyondtheamountofrecoveredandredistributed food)can BancoAlimentare deliveronitssocialmarketingobjectives?

3.Whatcan BancoAlimentare dotofurtherincreaseitsvolunteerbase?

4.Inwhatother,currentlyunderexploitedways,can BancoAlimentare utilizeitsnationwidenetworkoffoodbanks?

5.Inwhatwayscan BancoAlimentare capitalizemoreonitssocialmedia presence?

6.Whatotherinitiativescan BancoAlimentare implementtoenhanceits ownbrand?

7.Whichsloganorotherverbalcuescanbeaddedtosupportthevisual identityof BancoAlimentare?

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