Food Initiative Calculator: calculate the impact and social value of an initiative
A free, public calculation tool for a single food initiative: it measures the impact and social value of a food initiative across eight categories, using the same social cost-benefit (SCBA) methodology behind the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord (New Economy, November 2025).
Download the calculator (Excel) Open the Google Sheets version
What the tool does
The food initiative calculator translates a food initiative’s activities into an indicative social value in euros per year. The tool calculates by initiative type: distribution point, social restaurant, food-connecting place, urban agriculture or food hub. An initiative fills in only its own row of core data; the tool then automatically calculates the impact across eight categories, from reduced food costs to health gains and CO₂ reduction. Note: the calculation tool itself (the spreadsheet) is in Dutch.
Who it’s for
The tool is intended for individual food initiatives that want to make their own social value visible, for example for a grant application, an annual report or a conversation with a municipality. The tool may be used by food initiatives without prior permission. Crediting the municipality of Amsterdam as the client behind the underlying SCBA, and New Economy and Pepijn Duijvestein as the creator, is appreciated.
For municipalities and regions developing a broader food vision or food strategy, the calculator connects to the approach in Food vision and healthy living environment.
What the tool calculates
The tool values eight impact categories, each with a fixed value per unit. The values come from the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord and public sources, such as the social cost of CO₂ and the ZonMw advisory value for QALY in prevention.
| Category | What is calculated | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable income | Market value of food minus own contribution | €2.63 per meal |
| Food security | Structural access to food | €2,790 per household per year |
| Rescued food | Value of food that would otherwise be lost | €2 per kg |
| CO₂ reduction | Climate value of avoided emissions | €250 per tonne CO₂ |
| Activation and development | Value of volunteering and participation | €3,500 per volunteer per year |
| Safety-net function | Avoided public support costs | €1,750 per prevented case |
| Health | Healthier food and daily structure (QALY) | €50,000 per QALY |
| Reduction in public costs | Less formal support through informal signalling | €3,000 per case |
Full source references and calculation formulas are on the S04_PARAMETERS tab in the calculation tool.
The five initiative types
The tool distinguishes five types of food initiatives. An initiative fills in only the row for its own type; the other rows stay at zero.
- Distribution of food and/or meals (for people)
- Social restaurant (free or a small contribution up to €5) (for people)
- Food-connecting place (distribution + social restaurant + urban agriculture)
- Urban agriculture with production specifically for social purposes
- Food hub that supplies food to initiatives
How the tool works
- Open. Open the file in Excel, or open the Google Sheets version and make a copy first.
- Fill in. On the S01_DATA_KERNGEGEVENS tab, fill in only the row for your own initiative type.
- Result. View the outcome per category on the S02_RESULTATEN tab.
- Assumptions. Leave the S04_PARAMETERS tab unchanged, unless an assumption is deliberately adjusted.
The preparatory questionnaire (PDF) helps to gather the required core data in advance, before filling in the tool.
Origin and licence
The calculation tool is a simplified, generic version of the calculation model behind the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord (New Economy, commissioned by the municipality of Amsterdam, November 2025). That analysis put the combined social value of 32 food initiatives at approximately €15 million per year. This version calculates per initiative individually, without the weightings and totals for the entire district. Dozens of food initiatives are already using their own copy of the tool.
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Questions about the tool: contact@neweconomy.eco or +31 6 41333889.
Calculator, online version and questionnaire
- Food initiative calculator (Excel, editable) Simplified SCBA version for one initiative. Download the calculator (.xlsx)
- Food initiative calculator (Google Sheets, online) Make a copy first via the Drive folder. Open the Google Sheets version
- Preparatory questionnaire (PDF) Preparation form with the required core data. Download the questionnaire (PDF)
Questions when filling it in: contact@neweconomy.eco or +31 6 41333889.
Frequently asked questions
The food initiative calculator is a free, public calculation tool that lets a food initiative calculate its own social value across eight impact categories, based on the SCBA methodology behind the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord (New Economy, November 2025).
The tool may be used by food initiatives without prior permission. Crediting the municipality of Amsterdam as the client behind the underlying SCBA, and New Economy and Pepijn Duijvestein as the creator, is appreciated.
Both. The file can be downloaded directly as an Excel file, or opened as a Google Sheets version, ideally after making your own copy. The spreadsheet itself is in Dutch.
Per initiative type this covers core data such as the number of meals per year, households with structural access, kilos of rescued food, number of volunteers and number of referrals. The preparatory questionnaire (PDF) helps gather this data in advance.
It is a simplified version of the calculation model behind the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord (New Economy, November 2025), which put the combined social value of 32 food initiatives at approximately €15 million per year. This version calculates per initiative individually.
By filling in your own core data in the calculation tool: meals per year, households with structural access, kilos of rescued food, volunteers and referrals. The tool then automatically calculates the impact across eight categories, using the same SCBA methodology as the social cost-benefit analysis of food initiatives in Amsterdam-Noord.
Related food initiative work
The calculator is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (CC BY 4.0).
Help filling in the tool
Questions about the calculator, the questionnaire or a custom calculation go to New Economy.
Email New Economy