# A Game Theoretic Framework for Surplus Food Distribution in Smart Cities and Beyond
## 1 Introduction
### Related Work
#### 1.1.1 Literature Review
What constitutes food and what can be considered acceptable food practice have also been discussed and pushed to new limits. Regulations of the land and the involved food risk emerge as key factors to consider during such redistribution activities. Production beyond need, poor management, and bad consumer behaviours have been identified as the reasons that cause difficult challenges related to food wastage on a global scale [27]. The study also examines surplus food redistribution as a solution to this challenge in the United Kingdom and finds that there is a lot of scope for further improvement in efficiency. How food donation facilitates the transition towards a circular economy and brings together the diverse players of the process have been explored [28]. The study draws an important conclusion that multi-agent collaborations are the key towards a circular economy. The thesis [29] presented the different motives and interactions of the different actors involved in the act of food distribution. The study also brought into light the operational effects of the act and the challenges and alternatives to the donors. Another study [30] summarized the food redistribution initiatives implemented by individuals across more than ninety countries. The study evaluated these initiatives in terms of sustainability and created a database that depicts the transformation of the society towards sustainability. The study [31] acknowledges the positive impact of ICT in food redistribution and also created a database of such food sharing activities across several cities, countries and continents in order to facilitate the identification and analysis of repetitive patterns and temporal trends in ICT-mediated surplus redistribution. Food sharing, coupled with structural changes along the production line and better consumer habits, has been deemed [32] as a potential solution towards reducing food waste. Food redistribution is predicted to mitigate the effects of the food crunch that will arise due to growing demands for food of the ever exploding population of the world and the limitation of natural resources. Prevailing food practices and waste generation rates have been rendered not only environmentally, but also economically and socially unsustainable in the long run. The study [33] establishes the fact that more than one out of eight people in the United States is affected with food insecurity in spite of around one-third of all food production going into landfills. The study acknowledges that food redistribution organizations do mitigate this insecurity, although more in some states of the country than in others. The study [34] also recognizes the positive impacts of food redistribution on the environment, economy, and society in Italy. Highly benefited areas were identified and profiles for such redistribution activities were built. The study [35] acknowledged the contrasting challenges of food waste and food insecurity in the US. Based on the analysis of the K-12 school system in Maine, it was pointed out that very little is known about the strategies that schools use to handle the considerable amount of food waste that they produce. This paper suggested that several factors are considered in the choice of any waste reduction policies in schools. The study [36] studied the prevailing traceability practices of Stockholm's Stadmission food bank. Although the then current practices proved to be sufficient to provide food safety and quality, potential for systematic errors was also detected. They pointed out the absence of temperature control at the donation and receipt points to be the main issue in the redistribution process. The study [37] observed the working of an Israeli food bank using a different logistical model from the other food banks. They have non-profit organizations (NPOs) as intermediaries that add fresh produce to the surplus, thereby improving the food value of the redistribution.