Meta-Goal Programming for Efficient and Equitable Food Allocation in Food Banks

Food banks operate within their communities to promote food and nutritional security by reducing waste through the collection, processing, and allocation of food that is still fit for consumption but has lost its commercial value. However, these entities often operate manually and lack the tools to optimise the resources collected. In this sense, aiming to promote efficient and equitable allocation, based on the main principles of these entities' operation, this work proposes a meta-goal programming model to optimise food distribution. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the work proposes a multi-product model, and the results indicate that the adopted methodology yields useful insights for nutritionists managing food banks.