The circular food economy: An answer to the global warming issue
Despite the opportunity presented by the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021, food was conspicuously absent from the COP26 agenda last year. However, things may be different this year. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Egypt’s High-Level Climate Champion, has stated that food security, water security, and energy security should be given top priority at this year’s climate conference. These three areas are closely related and form the “nexus” of water, food, and energy. In addition, this will be the first COP to have a Food Systems Pavilion, bringing together a number of top worldwide food-related groups to talk about the potential benefits of sustainable food systems in the battle against climate change.
The ability of our global food system to halt climate change could be very important. Even though we produce more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet, an estimated 2.5 billion tonnes of food are lost or squandered every year due to our present linear food economy. Food waste is a problem that affects both climate change and food security and accessibility. A recent analysis by Tesco and WWF revealed that food waste globally accounts for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Designing more productive manufacturing processes, monetizing waste streams and byproducts, and developing sustainable substitutes for the resources we currently discard all depend heavily on innovation. We can hasten the shift from our disposable, single-use paradigm of food production and consumption to a circular, sustainable food economy by promoting technical advancements in all three sectors.
Taking food waste issues head-on
Food loss and waste are problems in the food industry from manufacturing to consumption, but it is crucial to address wasting from its source. Working with farmers and producers to address food waste concerns from the beginning of the supply chain is vital to overcoming this issue, since it is estimated that the majority of food loss—nearly 15 percent of all food produced—is lost at the farm level.
In this case, innovation is essential to repurposing the resources that are typically viewed as waste. For example, the manufacturing of extra virgin olive oil uses only 20% of the harvested olive fruits, meaning that generating this oil results in significant agricultural waste. The PHENOLIVIA project, which EIT Food has financed, is looking into a method for turning waste olive pomace into a novel food antioxidant. The process will be totally circular, with all byproducts recycled. This is but one instance of the inventiveness that provides an intriguing peek at what all production chains can entail should we encourage our food system to adopt a circular economy.
AI-based methods to cut down on food waste
Food services and retail establishments lose five and two percent of the total food available at the consuming stage of the supply chain, respectively, according to the most recent UNEP Food lose Index. Numerous entrepreneurs and SMEs are currently employing AI technology to develop creative solutions that could aid in addressing this.
For example, the Dutch business Orbisk tracks food waste down to the ingredient level using smart cameras, garbage bins, and weighing scales. AI then makes use of the gathered data to assist food service companies in making better decisions about when and how much food to buy, cutting down on waste and increasing profit margins. Another AI business is called Wasteless. It helps retailers avoid food waste by optimising markdowns on food prices based on expiration dates and increasing sales of the products with the shortest expiration dates.
Eco-friendly packaging options
When it comes to consumers, packaging innovations are having a revolutionary effect on how much less single-use plastic ends up in our trash cans and how we feel about the food that is wrapped in it. A sustainable substitute for plastic food packaging has been created by the UK-based business Solublue. It is made of an organic polymer that resembles clear plastic in appearance and texture but breaks down into compost in a matter of weeks. Furthermore, the material has the ability to absorb surplus moisture from the food it holds, so contributing to an extended shelf life.
AgriFoodX and other entrepreneurs are experimenting with exploiting by-products from the agrifood industry to create compostable and biodegradable alternative packaging materials that can also be used in agriculture, including weed suppression membranes.
Beyond packaging, technological advancements like Mimica Touch, a temperature-sensitive indicator label that deteriorates concurrently with the food within, can give consumers more precise information about when their food is expiring, potentially reducing food waste in half and averting potential food safety hazards.
You may also like:
Food security in emerging nations: issues and remedies
Are drinks the secret to increasing cannabis use among consumers?
Managing the lack of labour for mushroom picking
Going circular in the future
Nestle Article
The circular food economy: An answer to the global warming issue
Less than 50 days remain until COP27, and all eyes are on Egypt as world leaders prepare to convene to review and assess their progress towards limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.
Update on EIT Food Innovations
Despite the opportunity presented by the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021, food was conspicuously absent from the COP26 agenda last year. However, things may be different this year. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Egypt’s High-Level Climate Champion, has stated that food security, water security, and energy security should be given top priority at this year’s climate conference. These three areas are closely related and form the “nexus” of water, food, and energy. In addition, this will be the first COP to have a Food Systems Pavilion, bringing together a number of top worldwide food-related groups to talk about the potential benefits of sustainable food systems in the battle against climate change.
The ability of our global food system to halt climate change could be very important. Even though we produce more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet, an estimated 2.5 billion tonnes of food are lost or squandered every year due to our present linear food economy. Food waste is a problem that affects both climate change and food security and accessibility. A recent analysis by Tesco and WWF revealed that food waste globally accounts for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Designing more productive manufacturing processes, monetizing waste streams and byproducts, and developing sustainable substitutes for the resources we currently discard all depend heavily on innovation. We can hasten the shift from our disposable, single-use paradigm of food production and consumption to a circular, sustainable food economy by promoting technical advancements in all three sectors.
Booking for Food Integrity Global Early Bird is now open!
We are thrilled to announce that Food Integrity Global, our premier event, will return and take place in person on October 17–18, 2023, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in Kensington, London.
Pay attention to:
Learn from leading decision-makers in the food and beverage sector.
Engage in vibrant discussions about some of the most difficult issues facing the business, such as food safety, sustainability, transparency, trust, and food safety culture.
Meet with the trendiest suppliers, merchants, and manufacturers of ingredients.
Reconnect in person with your peers at social gatherings and networking breaks.
By registering now, you can save up to £300 on your ticket purchase. Be quick—this deal will expire soon!
USE NOW
Taking food waste issues head-on
Food loss and waste are problems in the food industry from manufacturing to consumption, but it is crucial to address wasting from its source. Working with farmers and producers to address food waste concerns from the beginning of the supply chain is vital to overcoming this issue, since it is estimated that the majority of food loss—nearly 15 percent of all food produced—is lost at the farm level.
In this case, innovation is essential to repurposing the resources that are typically viewed as waste. For example, the manufacturing of extra virgin olive oil uses only 20% of the harvested olive fruits, meaning that generating this oil results in significant agricultural waste. The PHENOLIVIA project, which EIT Food has financed, is looking into a method for turning waste olive pomace into a novel food antioxidant. The process will be totally circular, with all byproducts recycled. This is but one instance of the inventiveness that provides an intriguing peek at what all production chains can entail should we encourage our food system to adopt a circular economy.
AI-based methods to cut down on food waste
Food services and retail establishments lose five and two percent of the total food available at the consuming stage of the supply chain, respectively, according to the most recent UNEP Food lose Index. Numerous entrepreneurs and SMEs are currently employing AI technology to develop creative solutions that could aid in addressing this.
For example, the Dutch business Orbisk tracks food waste down to the ingredient level using smart cameras, garbage bins, and weighing scales. AI then makes use of the gathered data to assist food service companies in making better decisions about when and how much food to buy, cutting down on waste and increasing profit margins. Another AI business is called Wasteless. It helps retailers avoid food waste by optimising markdowns on food prices based on expiration dates and increasing sales of the products with the shortest expiration dates.
Eco-friendly packaging options
When it comes to consumers, packaging innovations are having a revolutionary effect on how much less single-use plastic ends up in our trash cans and how we feel about the food that is wrapped in it. A sustainable substitute for plastic food packaging has been created by the UK-based business Solublue. It is made of an organic polymer that resembles clear plastic in appearance and texture but breaks down into compost in a matter of weeks. Furthermore, the material has the ability to absorb surplus moisture from the food it holds, so contributing to an extended shelf life.
AgriFoodX and other entrepreneurs are experimenting with exploiting by-products from the agrifood industry to create compostable and biodegradable alternative packaging materials that can also be used in agriculture, including weed suppression membranes.
Beyond packaging, technological advancements like Mimica Touch, a temperature-sensitive indicator label that deteriorates concurrently with the food within, can give consumers more precise information about when their food is expiring, potentially reducing food waste in half and averting potential food safety hazards.
Going circular in the future
Reducing food waste is the responsibility of each individual player in the food system, but in order to successfully address this challenge, we must enhance transparency and communication throughout the whole food system. The key to this will be shifting the way we view waste—from something having no value to something having great value.
When it comes to tackling food waste, the Water-Food-Energy nexus—which Egypt’s High-Level Climate Champion has highlighted—presents both opportunities and challenges. Although energy and water resources are vital to the food system, moving towards a circular food economy presents chances to grow and even conserve some of these resources. Currently, food systems use almost 30% of the world’s energy resources, of which 38% is used to produce food that is lost or squandered. However, this trash might be converted to biogas, which produces heat, petrol, power and fuel for the transportation sector. Devices that desalinate saltwater or clean tainted water sources could be powered by the energy generated from food waste. To truly take action towards a circular food economy and climate change mitigation, we must encourage technologies that cross this triple nexus.