Foodwaste management a etnografie spolku Foodsharing

Food waste is a major contributor to the use of natural resources and the generation of emissions, a problem that can be addressed through food redistribution, as is the case of the studied Foodsharing Association. This paper aims to propose possible starting points for a more economically efficient management of food waste generated by retail chains based on ethnographic research of the Foodsharing eV. in Innsbruck. Mixed methods were used for research. The practical part of the thesis includes two qualitative interviews, a cost analysis of the Mpreis chain, and a questionnaire survey among the volunteers of the association. From the interview at Mpreis and the analysis of its food waste disposal costs, a savings rate for the cooperating chain of stores was determined. From the responses of the respondents, statistics were generated on their average savings on food costs. The outcome of the research carried out is the demonstration of cost savings for both parties involved in the redistribution of food but to a lesser extent than the hypotheses set. The contribution of this thesis is the research on the practical benefits of food redistribution and the formulation of recommendations.