Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENOUGH (European food chain supply to reduce GHG emissions by 2050)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-03-31
Food systems are globally responsible for quite some share of the total greenhouse gas emissions and there are several challenges that need to be solved. Over the whole food chain approximately 60% of food is refrigerated at some point, and it is estimated that approximately 70% of emissions from food are related to perishable foods.
A very important challenge is to reduce the emissions. The main source of emissions is related to energy use within the food chain, but it has been estimated that this can be reduced with up to 50 % by several different initiatives. Examples are reducing load, optimisation of processes and integration. Another important source of emissions is loss of refrigerants, especially if they have high global warming potential, which many still have.
Another challenge is that the food sector is highly diverse and it consists of many different enterprises, where the majority are small to medium sized enterprises. Benchmarking and assessing current emissions of all these is a challenge, but also communicating information and providing right technology to them.
The goals of ENOUGH is in line with the goals of the EU farm to fork, and they are to identify how the food industry can:
1. Reduce GHG-emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels.
2. Identify how will we achieve climate neutrality for food businesses
3. Improve the overall integrated sustainability of food systems while at the same time meeting societal goals.
4. Increase awareness among policy makers, businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, institutions, stakeholders and citizens.
A very important challenge is to reduce the emissions. The main source of emissions is related to energy use within the food chain, but it has been estimated that this can be reduced with up to 50 % by several different initiatives. Examples are reducing load, optimisation of processes and integration. Another important source of emissions is loss of refrigerants, especially if they have high global warming potential, which many still have.
Another challenge is that the food sector is highly diverse and it consists of many different enterprises, where the majority are small to medium sized enterprises. Benchmarking and assessing current emissions of all these is a challenge, but also communicating information and providing right technology to them.
The goals of ENOUGH is in line with the goals of the EU farm to fork, and they are to identify how the food industry can:
1. Reduce GHG-emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels.
2. Identify how will we achieve climate neutrality for food businesses
3. Improve the overall integrated sustainability of food systems while at the same time meeting societal goals.
4. Increase awareness among policy makers, businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, institutions, stakeholders and citizens.
The project is organised in 11 different work packages, who already have started to tackle different perspectives of the challenges. Since all of the issues are closely connected, the work packages are also closely linked and communicating in between.
WP1 will identify the baseline emission figures (1990 and 2020). Based on baselines the predicted evolution for 2030 and 2050 will be calculated (2030 because it is now recognised as a key step for mitigating climate change in Europe (-55% /1990), 2050 because we shall have an objective of 50% reduction in GHG emissions).
In WP2 an analysis will be carried out to determine what can be achieved through the application of the best current technical (TRL5-7 and above) and operational changes to each sector within the food chain. A bespoke model will be developed for each sector of the food chain to assess technological/operational options within each sector of the cold chain. The model will identify the greatest carbon reduction opportunities when applying a technology, the estimated financial payback of applying the technology and the time to market.
WP3 provides information and insights on non-technical factors and barriers to achieve the 50% GHG emissions target by 2050 in food chains for different scenario pathways, including public perception, behavioural and social issues as well as business models. Combining the non-technical challenges and technical factors from WP2 and WP4, in WP3 we will develop energy road maps for achieving the EU’s 2050 emissions target.
WP4 will provide a comprehensive web-based software tool to rapidly identify and assess the viability in a food supply chain of potential renewable energy sources, potential energy efficiency increases through novel technologies, and heating and cooling process symbiosis all along the chain.
WP 5 will provide a digital backbone based on cyber-physical system of systems concept, which is the guiding concept and technology underlying current Industry 4.0 strategies, where a set of services will revolve around a common data environment.
WP6 demonstrates promising technologies and improves their performance in real-life situations. It represents the interface between field application and the other work packages, by implementing upstream WPs outcomes to improve performances and giving technical and behavioural feedbacks to downstream WPs.
WP7 provides policy measures that concern the food value chain and should facilitate the achievement of the 50% reduction in emissions target by 2050. It will consider the outcomes of WP1 concerning the social and economic impacts assuming business as usual emissions, together with those in WP2-WP6 related to technology roadmaps and models, energy efficiency targets and the required finance and synergies between sectors achieved by integrating cooling, heating and other technologies used in the food value chain, which includes production, transport, storage, retail, catering and domestic consumption of food.
WP8 will communicate, disseminate and exploit project information and results to target groups and key actors in the food chain in and outside of Europe such as the food production industry, refrigeration equipment manufacturers, policy makers and academics.
WP9 manages the project and coordinates the work. This WP will aim for efficient and productive control of the ENOUGH project from both an administrative and technical point of view
WP10 oversees the ethics compliance of the project.
WP11 includes communication with European Commission. End-user material will be produced in the form of a number of summaries for practitioners in the EIP common format ("practice abstracts").
WP1 will identify the baseline emission figures (1990 and 2020). Based on baselines the predicted evolution for 2030 and 2050 will be calculated (2030 because it is now recognised as a key step for mitigating climate change in Europe (-55% /1990), 2050 because we shall have an objective of 50% reduction in GHG emissions).
In WP2 an analysis will be carried out to determine what can be achieved through the application of the best current technical (TRL5-7 and above) and operational changes to each sector within the food chain. A bespoke model will be developed for each sector of the food chain to assess technological/operational options within each sector of the cold chain. The model will identify the greatest carbon reduction opportunities when applying a technology, the estimated financial payback of applying the technology and the time to market.
WP3 provides information and insights on non-technical factors and barriers to achieve the 50% GHG emissions target by 2050 in food chains for different scenario pathways, including public perception, behavioural and social issues as well as business models. Combining the non-technical challenges and technical factors from WP2 and WP4, in WP3 we will develop energy road maps for achieving the EU’s 2050 emissions target.
WP4 will provide a comprehensive web-based software tool to rapidly identify and assess the viability in a food supply chain of potential renewable energy sources, potential energy efficiency increases through novel technologies, and heating and cooling process symbiosis all along the chain.
WP 5 will provide a digital backbone based on cyber-physical system of systems concept, which is the guiding concept and technology underlying current Industry 4.0 strategies, where a set of services will revolve around a common data environment.
WP6 demonstrates promising technologies and improves their performance in real-life situations. It represents the interface between field application and the other work packages, by implementing upstream WPs outcomes to improve performances and giving technical and behavioural feedbacks to downstream WPs.
WP7 provides policy measures that concern the food value chain and should facilitate the achievement of the 50% reduction in emissions target by 2050. It will consider the outcomes of WP1 concerning the social and economic impacts assuming business as usual emissions, together with those in WP2-WP6 related to technology roadmaps and models, energy efficiency targets and the required finance and synergies between sectors achieved by integrating cooling, heating and other technologies used in the food value chain, which includes production, transport, storage, retail, catering and domestic consumption of food.
WP8 will communicate, disseminate and exploit project information and results to target groups and key actors in the food chain in and outside of Europe such as the food production industry, refrigeration equipment manufacturers, policy makers and academics.
WP9 manages the project and coordinates the work. This WP will aim for efficient and productive control of the ENOUGH project from both an administrative and technical point of view
WP10 oversees the ethics compliance of the project.
WP11 includes communication with European Commission. End-user material will be produced in the form of a number of summaries for practitioners in the EIP common format ("practice abstracts").
Emissions related to post farm gate (or post-harvest) are the focus of this project and these are estimated to account for about 20% of total emissions. Emissions from food production, processing and packaging, transportation, storage, retail display, catering and home consumption will be assessed as separate groups to identify where the greatest potential for emission reduction is and where mitigation actions can be applied.
We will develop, adapt and apply new technologies, but to also better integrate and streamline processes. This is particularly the case where heating and cooling can be integrated and available new energy sources (for example Photo Voltaic, wind and geothermal) can be fully integrated into the industrial processes together with thermal and energy storage.
Within the project, we will demonstrate technologies to show industry and other stakeholders their feasibility and reliability. This project team has extensive and strong links with industry groups and this enables us to communicate information actively and effectively.
A particular focus of the project will be on thermal integration to utilise waste heat resources that are currently rarely utilised effectively. Sometimes it could also include waste cold.
Information will be integrated from a food system perspective using a unique IoT based analysis platform, combining sensors and databases with digital twins of the food chains, from processing to consumption, considering the impacts on energy use, emissions, quality and safety, and food waste.
Although the project has a technological focus it will also focus on non-technological and behavioural issues because technologies need to integrate into processes and be accepted by end users.
We will develop, adapt and apply new technologies, but to also better integrate and streamline processes. This is particularly the case where heating and cooling can be integrated and available new energy sources (for example Photo Voltaic, wind and geothermal) can be fully integrated into the industrial processes together with thermal and energy storage.
Within the project, we will demonstrate technologies to show industry and other stakeholders their feasibility and reliability. This project team has extensive and strong links with industry groups and this enables us to communicate information actively and effectively.
A particular focus of the project will be on thermal integration to utilise waste heat resources that are currently rarely utilised effectively. Sometimes it could also include waste cold.
Information will be integrated from a food system perspective using a unique IoT based analysis platform, combining sensors and databases with digital twins of the food chains, from processing to consumption, considering the impacts on energy use, emissions, quality and safety, and food waste.
Although the project has a technological focus it will also focus on non-technological and behavioural issues because technologies need to integrate into processes and be accepted by end users.