One thing I’ve noticed about Ireland in general is their sustainability efforts. Everywhere I’ve been here they have wooden utensils, water-saving toilets, strict recycling/waste systems, and so much more. It’s clear how much the Irish people value sustainability, and therefore I think that is why Food Cloud is so successful. Food Cloud’s business model aims to eliminate as much food waste as possible. Prior to the visit, I knew food waste was an issue, but was not aware of how much of a serious problem it is. 40% of all food goes to waste, and 60% of that is completely fine to eat. Much of Food Cloud’s business involves educating people on the harmful implications of food waste, and in-turn encouraging people to adapt more sustainable habits. They give back to the community not only by eliminating food waste and therefore helping the environment, but also putting food on the table for those that cannot afford it. Something I noticed about Food Cloud was the amount of collaboration they do. Brian talked several times about different ways that they work with charities, companies similar to theirs, and the community in general. With the other companies we visited, they talked about what they do to perform better than their competition. At Food Cloud however, they talked about collaboration and how they work to help spread their mission to other similar companies. I think this is in admirable thing to do and goes to show what they’re really working for: the greater good of society. I absolutely loved going to Food Cloud and seeing what they’re all about. The vests they gave us to wear were an added touch of fun (and safety) as well :).