Food Redistribution as Optimization
Food Redistribution as Optimization
复制标题
食物再分配作为优化
DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.007553
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发表时间：
2011
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Becky Higbee
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
C. Phillips;R. Hoenigman;Becky Higbee
在本文中，我们研究的同时粮食浪费和饥饿的情况下，可能的解决方案的粮食（浪费）救援和再分配的问题。为此，我们开发了一个经验模型，可用于蒙特卡罗模拟研究的动力学的根本问题。我们的模型的参数来自一个独特的数据集提供的大型食品银行和食品救援组织在中北部科罗拉多。我们发现，食品供应是一个非参数的重尾过程，是很好的建模与极值峰值过阈值模型。虽然基本的过程是随机的，粮食救援和再分配的基本方法似乎是可行的，无论是在小规模和大规模。这种模式的最终功效与食物过期的速度密切相关，因此也与保存、快速运输和重新分配食物的能力密切相关。再分配的成本与参与供应商的数量和密度有关，只需招募更多的捐助者参与，就可以降低成本（增加供应）。我们的研究结果表明，如果有足够的资金和人力，可以从废物流中拯救出大量的食物，并用于养活饥饿的人。
In this paper we study the simultaneous problems of food waste and hunger in the context of the possible solution of food (waste) rescue and redistribution. To this end, we develop an empirical model that can be used in Monte Carlo simulations to study the dynamics of the underlying problem. Our model's parameters are derived from a unique data set provided by a large food bank and food rescue organization in north central Colorado. We find that food supply is a non-parametric heavy-tailed process that is well-modeled with an extreme value peaks-over-threshold model. Although the underlying process is stochastic, the basic approach of food rescue and redistribution appears to be feasible both at small and large scales. The ultimate efficacy of this model is intimately tied to the rate at which food expires and hence the ability to preserve and quickly transport and redistribute food. The cost of the redistribution is tied to the number and density of participating suppliers, and costs can be reduced (and supply increased) simply by recruiting additional donors to participate. Our results show that with sufficient funding and manpower, a significant amount of food can be rescued from the waste stream and used to feed the hungry.