Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FOODRUS (AN INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIVE CIRCULAR FOOD SYSTEM TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND LOSSES IN THE AGRI-FOOD CHAIN)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-05-01 bis 2023-04-30
Agri-food value chains, from primary production down to final household consumption and disposal, are notoriously inefficient. Globally, a third of all food produced for humans is lost or wasted. In Europe, the cost of food loss (food that has become unfit for consumption before it reaches the consumer) and waste (the discarding of food that is fit for consumption, either before or after it spoils) accounts for €143 billion.
The FOODRUS project seeks to create resilient local food systems in Europe by developing 23 circular solutions to limit food losses and waste (FLW) along the entire agri-food value chain. Promoting efficiency in the use of resources across all the stages of the value chain. FOODRUS will:
- Create cost-efficient decision making tools for actors of the FVC to manage FLWProvide reliable and long-term quantification and monitoring of FLW
- Carry out an intensive social engagement with all relevant actors of the FVC to foster long-term behavioural changes and promote collaborative solutions
- Raise awareness among policy-makers and the general public about FLW and foster more sustainable and healthy diets through education about local produce and maximum food yield
- Provide practical toolkits for stakeholders across Europe to reduce FLW
The FOODRUS solutions will be tested at three demonstrations across Europe: a cross-regional Spanish pilot focused on vegetables and prepared salads; a Danish pilot centred on changing habits about meat and fish consumption, and a Slovakian pilot analysing the bread value chain.
The pilots will empower and engage all stakeholders in the local food systems, creating a sense of community and building a multi-actor alliance to tackle the challenge of food loss and waste. FoodRUs will also empower citizens to make them an active part of both the problem and the solution.
To promote the replicability of the solutions FoodRUs will involve six European regions as Followers, to replicate and adapt the solutions in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Linz (Austria), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Halandri (Greece), Arnhem-Nijmegen (Netherlands), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Catalunya (Spain).
FOODRUS will primarily focus on reducing food losses and waste (50% in line with ODS) but also create corresponding environmental, social and economic impacts: 65% carbon footprint reduction, 5% of costs avoided, involvement of the main actors of the food value chains and 13 new business models.
The FOODRUS project seeks to create resilient local food systems in Europe by developing 23 circular solutions to limit food losses and waste (FLW) along the entire agri-food value chain. Promoting efficiency in the use of resources across all the stages of the value chain. FOODRUS will:
- Create cost-efficient decision making tools for actors of the FVC to manage FLWProvide reliable and long-term quantification and monitoring of FLW
- Carry out an intensive social engagement with all relevant actors of the FVC to foster long-term behavioural changes and promote collaborative solutions
- Raise awareness among policy-makers and the general public about FLW and foster more sustainable and healthy diets through education about local produce and maximum food yield
- Provide practical toolkits for stakeholders across Europe to reduce FLW
The FOODRUS solutions will be tested at three demonstrations across Europe: a cross-regional Spanish pilot focused on vegetables and prepared salads; a Danish pilot centred on changing habits about meat and fish consumption, and a Slovakian pilot analysing the bread value chain.
The pilots will empower and engage all stakeholders in the local food systems, creating a sense of community and building a multi-actor alliance to tackle the challenge of food loss and waste. FoodRUs will also empower citizens to make them an active part of both the problem and the solution.
To promote the replicability of the solutions FoodRUs will involve six European regions as Followers, to replicate and adapt the solutions in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Linz (Austria), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Halandri (Greece), Arnhem-Nijmegen (Netherlands), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Catalunya (Spain).
FOODRUS will primarily focus on reducing food losses and waste (50% in line with ODS) but also create corresponding environmental, social and economic impacts: 65% carbon footprint reduction, 5% of costs avoided, involvement of the main actors of the food value chains and 13 new business models.
During the first part of the project, the 3 pilots took part in a co-creation process of 23 eco-solutions and the definition of their circular food strategies as part of their Social Action programme which includes a set of citizen science activities that will allow to engage and empower all the actors involved in the food value chains (FVC).
In parallel, a methodology for food loss and waste (FLW) quantification was set in cooperation with experts and practitioners of the FVC . A set of 69 KPIs were selected and the baseline calculated using historical data to follow the impact of the FOODRUS solutions.
During the second part of the project 39 social strategies have started, involving nearly 300 interventions and the first solutions have started to be validated. Among the results obtained are:
- Citizens behaviour monitoring and urban waste characterization at municipal scale
-An e-learning platform with a set of 8 modules
- Gender dimension assessment to make visible women's practices in not wasting food and to make them aware of their own role
- Results of the baseline for citizen, HORECA, industry and the primary sector, assessment of the causes
- A new municipal PYAT ordinance to consider bonuses for FLW prevention
- Innovative practices and educational materials to provoke behavioural changes
- 4 Sustainable food systems webinars to discuss innovative business models
- First ICT solutions validated: the cook app and the food loop app (citizens & HORECA); the FSC app (FSC stakeholders); the urban waste characterization tool (regions) and the Social Action Module including a public dashboard to show the best prevention practices to the general public
- 1 last mile logistics solution implemented and 6 under deployment
- Data-driven cooperative solutions under development (such as prediction of demand in cascade)
- A certification process based on blockchain
- 2 briefings about legal instruments and building capacity strategies
- Advanced knowledge in: Identification of business expansion solutions, ‘key messages’ to reach citizens, factors influencing consumers' FW reduction behaviour, a catalogue of business expansion opportunities for FLW prevention, definition of the Circularity FLW index to measure the sustainability of FLW practices, analysis of legal and economic barriers to FLW prevention, causes and potential solutions
- Empower the CCN on FLW through mutual learning and cooperation activities.
- First steps are given for the development of the national and regional replication roadmaps
In parallel, a methodology for food loss and waste (FLW) quantification was set in cooperation with experts and practitioners of the FVC . A set of 69 KPIs were selected and the baseline calculated using historical data to follow the impact of the FOODRUS solutions.
During the second part of the project 39 social strategies have started, involving nearly 300 interventions and the first solutions have started to be validated. Among the results obtained are:
- Citizens behaviour monitoring and urban waste characterization at municipal scale
-An e-learning platform with a set of 8 modules
- Gender dimension assessment to make visible women's practices in not wasting food and to make them aware of their own role
- Results of the baseline for citizen, HORECA, industry and the primary sector, assessment of the causes
- A new municipal PYAT ordinance to consider bonuses for FLW prevention
- Innovative practices and educational materials to provoke behavioural changes
- 4 Sustainable food systems webinars to discuss innovative business models
- First ICT solutions validated: the cook app and the food loop app (citizens & HORECA); the FSC app (FSC stakeholders); the urban waste characterization tool (regions) and the Social Action Module including a public dashboard to show the best prevention practices to the general public
- 1 last mile logistics solution implemented and 6 under deployment
- Data-driven cooperative solutions under development (such as prediction of demand in cascade)
- A certification process based on blockchain
- 2 briefings about legal instruments and building capacity strategies
- Advanced knowledge in: Identification of business expansion solutions, ‘key messages’ to reach citizens, factors influencing consumers' FW reduction behaviour, a catalogue of business expansion opportunities for FLW prevention, definition of the Circularity FLW index to measure the sustainability of FLW practices, analysis of legal and economic barriers to FLW prevention, causes and potential solutions
- Empower the CCN on FLW through mutual learning and cooperation activities.
- First steps are given for the development of the national and regional replication roadmaps
FOODRUS is a project created by, with and for people from its conceptualisation. For this reason, a social responsible research and innovation are being developed promoting specific activities to foster the empowerment of all the actors involved in the food value chains (FVCs). Under this premise, FOODRUS provides a double breakthrough in the field of FLW reduction. On one hand, it provides an opportunity to implement a standard methodology to quantify and monitor FLW according to the Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597. Secondly and thanks to a multi-actor approach involving the stakeholders of three FVCs in Europe several cooperative solutions are under deployment and tested. Based on digital governance the FOODRUS solutionsl allows to collect, manage and share all the relevant information needed of the whole FVC to implement circular strategies based on technological, social, financial, legal, educational, political, labelling and organisational solutions.
The activities performed in FOODRUS contribute also to the policy making and policy implementation. First and thanks to a deep analysis of legal and economical barriers and business opportunities the main drivers to reduce FLW will be identified. Secondly, it supposes an opportunity to fulfil the EU Circular Economy Package and the Farm to Fork Strategy as well as to be prepared to adopt the national upcoming laws as the recently approved Spanish law on FLW prevention with requirements not always easily achievable with the current FVC situation and contour conditions.
FOODRUS provides innovative solutions that cover different FLW causes along the FVC through innovative approaches and technologies such as:
- Definition of a certification process of FLW and use of blockchain technologies to guarantee reliability and transparency of the data
- Analyse short economic circuits and their potential to build stable financial capacity building structures oriented to ensure economic sustainability
- Use PAYT schemes to foster FLW prevention
- Apply data mining techniques to the agri-food sector in a cooperative way for the common good (such as the development of in-cascade demand prediction algorithms)
FoodRUs project is defined to significantly contribute to the main pillar of Sustainable Development: Living within Environmental limits, achieving a Sustainable Economy, promoting Good Governance, using sound science responsibly, and ensuring a strong, healthy and just society.
The activities performed in FOODRUS contribute also to the policy making and policy implementation. First and thanks to a deep analysis of legal and economical barriers and business opportunities the main drivers to reduce FLW will be identified. Secondly, it supposes an opportunity to fulfil the EU Circular Economy Package and the Farm to Fork Strategy as well as to be prepared to adopt the national upcoming laws as the recently approved Spanish law on FLW prevention with requirements not always easily achievable with the current FVC situation and contour conditions.
FOODRUS provides innovative solutions that cover different FLW causes along the FVC through innovative approaches and technologies such as:
- Definition of a certification process of FLW and use of blockchain technologies to guarantee reliability and transparency of the data
- Analyse short economic circuits and their potential to build stable financial capacity building structures oriented to ensure economic sustainability
- Use PAYT schemes to foster FLW prevention
- Apply data mining techniques to the agri-food sector in a cooperative way for the common good (such as the development of in-cascade demand prediction algorithms)
FoodRUs project is defined to significantly contribute to the main pillar of Sustainable Development: Living within Environmental limits, achieving a Sustainable Economy, promoting Good Governance, using sound science responsibly, and ensuring a strong, healthy and just society.