Finland’s food redistribution network is growing faster than the tools used to run it.
According to the 2025 Hävikkiterminaalien selvitys (Luke/Ruoka-apu.fi), Finland’s 11 redistribution hubs collectively distributed 6.6 million kg of donated food last year, up 845,000 kg from 2024. The number of people visiting food aid organisations is rising. And the fastest growing source of new donations is catering and restaurant surplus, which grew from 1.4% to 3.8% of total hub volume in just twelve months.
Yet only 2 of 11 hubs have any operational software. The rest run on manual weighing, spreadsheets, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls.
Where the gap breaks down
That gap, between a growing network of donors and manual coordination tools, is where things break down. Wasted trips when expected quantities do not arrive. Missed donations when a restaurant cannot reach anyone. Hours spent on administrative work that could be spent on the actual mission.
What Stadin Safka did
Stadin Safka, one of Finland’s largest redistribution hubs, faced exactly this challenge. In a 21-day pilot in June 2026, coordinators logged 81 donations and tracked 271 kg of surplus food with Zipli. Donors log their surplus in under 30 seconds. The hub has real-time visibility of every incoming donation before it arrives. Based on the pilot, coordinators estimated saving around 34 hours a month. Stadin Safka is now Zipli’s first paying terminal customer.
The coordination problem is solvable. And the moment to solve it is now, while catering surplus is growing fast enough to make a real difference.
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Catering surplus is the fastest growing donation category in Finland
Source: Hävikkiterminaalien vuosi 2025 -selvitys, Laura Kumpuniemi & Vesa Lampi, Luke/Ruoka-apu.fi, 29.4.2026. Read the full report.
