Can Apps Reduce Food Waste?

When people are starving in parts of the world, it is horrifying that one third of all food is wasted. The UK is typical in also throwing away one third of its food. A number of apps are now being used by people, attempting to reduce this food waste (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/21/millions-sign-up-to-anti-food-waste-apps-to-share-their-unused-produce). The apps include Hubbub, Karma, Olio and Too Good To Go. They offer a range of options. These include posting pictures of surplus food, others in their neighbourhood might want. Those people can come to collect the items. Too Good To Go puts together 'magic bags' of foods, at heavily discounted prices. Some of the apps have millions of users worldwide. I am very much in favour of reducing food waste. The apps go some way to doing this and probably make their users feel good about their actions. The apps have, however, a number of limitations. The first is that food waste in a country, like the UK, is largely a consequence of oversupply. People like to be 'tempted' with food options and supermarket profits are entirely related to sales. Supermarkets over stock and many of us buy too much. The apps will not change a commercial model in which food waste is an inevitable consequence. Another limitation is that the food is only moved around locally. The apps may sometimes relieve hunger in local populations but they will have no impact on hunger in other parts of the globe. It is even likely the apps will be more used in rich cities (with lots of people with waste food and others living nearby) than in smaller villages and towns. In fairness, the apps focus on food, rather than people.