Optimising the Distribution of Food Baskets: A Humanitarian Approach

• Grant number: 24/04929-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Operational Research
• Principal Investigator: Franklina Maria Bragion de Toledo
• Grantee: Franklina Maria Bragion de Toledo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The UN has set 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among them, we highlight two: "Zero Hunger" and "Responsible Consumption and Production". Although Brazil is committed to achieving these goals, the country returned to the hunger map of UN, in 2022. Therefore, the government was prompted to resume and expand the scope of assistance programs for food-insecure populations. One of these programs is the distribution of food baskets throughout the country, whose distribution logistics are continental in scope. The main objective of this project is to develop optimization strategies for the food basket distribution problem in order to consider crucial aspects in the formulation of public policies, including the effectiveness and equity of food distribution programs. (AU)