Fostering Sustainable Innovation: Insights from Three European Food Banks

Grassroots sustainable innovations are novel and sustainable solutions designed and developed by the actors of civil society in order to respond to local issues. Among them, several initiatives promoted by non-profit organizations aimed at reducing food waste are gaining growing attention. Focusing on three case studies of food banks across Europe, the goal of this chapter is to assess their business models so as to identify drivers that can support and favour the diffusion of such initiatives, in order to reduce the problem of food surplus in European countries. Specific attention is given to the role of public sector.