Upcycling among solutions reviewed at Teagasc forum to tackle food waste
(Left to right) Ciara McDonagh, head of Teagasc’s Food Industry Development Department, Angelo Galalato, food technologist at Teagasc, Professor Maeve Henchion, Teagasc, Shay Hannon, manager of the National Prepared Food Consumer Centre.
Key stakeholders were brought together to try to tackle the growing national and global food waste challenge.
Teagasc brought together the key stakeholders from policy, regulation, business and civil society to refine recommendations aimed at tackling the growing challenge. The roundtable took place at the Teagasc Food Research Centre in Ashtown on April 13.
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Food waste is a significant problem in Ireland, costing Irish businesses an estimated €2bn annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Impacts are also felt at the household level, where between 26% and 31% of more than one million tonnes of food is wasted each year.
According to Teagasc Professor Maeve Henchion: “Food loss and waste not only represent a missed opportunity to feed the growing global population, but they also have significant environmental, social and ethical impacts.”
“It wastes finite and precious resources, including water and energy, can adversely affect farmers’ livelihoods, and increases food prices for consumers. Environmental impacts also relate to climate change and biodiversity.”
Teagasc researchers are working on developing practical solutions, including new upcycled food products and strategies for communicating with consumers.
Food technologist at Teagasc, Angelo Galalato, said: “Upcycling is about seeing value where others see waste.
“Insights from the ROSETTA roundtables emphasise the importance of businesses liaising with stakeholders across the supply chain to unlock the full potential of food upcycling. Transforming surplus produce, such as wonky carrots, into innovative ingredients like carrot juice ganache illustrates how sustainability can drive both environmental and economic value.”
The ROSETTA project brings together 17 partner organisations from eight European countries, aiming to reduce and prevent food waste by improving market access for such non-conforming foods.
Pilot initiatives in five countries, including Ireland, have tested practical solutions to inform future strategies for food businesses, policymakers, and regulators. These findings, combined with desk-based research, have informed draft policy and business recommendations, which were discussed today.
At the workshop, Irish stakeholders examined five policy recommendations covering 11 key topics. These included improving and strengthening food supply chains, aligning the goals of public and private standards, expanding pathways for suboptimal products, supporting technological innovation and improving monitoring and accountability systems, and strengthening education and collaboration.
Participants also discussed 11 business recommendations across four clusters. These focused on understanding where and why food waste from marketing standards occurs and quantifying its economic impact, and concrete actions to prevent waste and recover products across the supply chain.
Other focuses surrounded creating market access for suboptimal and upcycled products through product development, communication, and consumer engagement, strategic positioning, regulatory preparedness, and systemic co-ordination for sustained impact.
While many solutions already exist, participants highlighted that implementation and behaviour change remain significant challenges. Collaboration, data, measurement, and evidence were identified as essential enablers, with systemic approaches that integrate diverse solutions required to address the multiple drivers of food waste.
