Abstract

The article describes the Banco Alimentare origins, structure, tangible and intangible resources. It focuses on the development of the activity of recovery and redistribution, free of charge, of surplus food from the food supply chain to non-for-profit organisations that help the most deprived; regulatory provisions have facilitated these activities, which have also been made possible thanks to collaborations with several actors. This highlights the resilience and innovation capacity that Banco Alimentare acquired over the years, which was also confirmed during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The contribution pays particular attention to the description and analysis of the urban micro- logistics model of recovery that has made it possible to improve the quantity and quality of goods redistributed by Banco Alimentare.