Easy Ways to Fight Food Insecurity with an iPhone

If you have a smartphone, fighting food insecurity is just a click away. Read on to learn how innovative solutions to hunger are improving the world through technology.

Food Genius launches dish rating site to support charity

Food Genius, a Chicago based food data analytics company, recently announced the launch of FoodGenero.us, a restaurant dish ratings site. Food Genius will donate money to Feeding America based on the number of votes submitted on Food Genero.us each month.

CEO Justin Massa says “Food Genero.us allows users to learn more about their tastes and how restaurants describe dishes, while at the same time helping feed a hungry family.”

Hunger Fighting App in Arizona

Every night across the country, millions of Americans go to bed hungry while local restaurants, hotels, and catering companies throw away uneaten food. The solution? Flash Food, a student-designed, social-media powered app that fights hunger and reduces food waste.

Flash Food was created by six Arizona State University students. Here's how it works: Volunteers can respond to the notifications from participating "donors" and come pick it up the food. People who have registered with Flash Food and indicated that they need a meal then receive notification that there's food available.

The program is still in its pilot stage, but has strong potential to serve the Phoenix community. Eric Lehnhardt, one of its founders, says food providers have plenty of incentive to participate in the program.

"No one wants to see food go to waste, especially when you know there are people in your community who would love to be able to receive that food."

Feeding the Future

People in the world have access to mobile phones in greater supply than running water and toilets. This technology has the power to transform families living in the developing world, particularly farmers, whose lives can change from day to day depending on soil conditions, crop yields, and drought.

Farmers in Africa are now using cell phones for banking and insurance services, which is transforming how they interact with money. Check out the Fast Company video highlighting more about this program.