Lowinfood, University of Tuscia, Viterbo (2025)

11/03/2025

👥 On 24 February 2025, the Austrian partners, BOKU University, Unverschwendet and the Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut jointly organised the Final Event at BOKU, in .

In this event, they presented the 4️⃣ innovations that have been implemented in aimed at curbing food waste: a mobile application for the household sector, CozZo app, educational programmes and technical solutions for the dining room in (Plate Waste Tracker), the successful distribution of surplus fruit and vegetables from production and processing and processing by the Austrian company , as well as the forecasting software for bakeries in Germany, which is already being used in Austria, .

A panel discussion also took place during the event. Representatives from policy, academia and the food sector shared valuable insights into the practical implementation of food waste prevention measures👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for joining this event😊

European Commission

07/03/2025

Thank you all for participating in the final event in Vienna😊 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

European Commission

06/03/2025

On February 17 2025, just a few days before the conclusion of the project, the partner Regione Emilia-Romagna hosted the event “The value of the social impact of the regional system of market withdrawals in the fruit and vegetable sector” in . Emilia-Romagna Region replicated in its innovation: The S.I.R. platform (Sistema Informativo dei Ritiri), a system for efficiently managing the procedure of fruit and vegetables withdrawing from the market and distributed by charities to the poor 🍎🥝🥦

🤝 Through a participatory method involving all the actors, the social impact was calculated in terms of Social Return On Investment – SROI. The work highlighted the role of public bodies in the coordination of food recovery and support to the Third Sector, reaching people at risk of food poverty and often in conditions of social distress 👩👨

👥 The event also hosted a round table, entitled “The evolution of the organisational model: state of the art and perspectives” in which several stakeholders participated, including agri-food associations and centres, NGOs, universities, as well as Stefano Bonaccini, MEP Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

More info on the website👉🏿 https://bit.ly/4hh7wB3

Regione Emilia-Romagna, Agricoltura, caccia e pesca - Centro Agro Alimentare e Logistica di CAL Centro AgroAlimentare e Logistica Parma Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna Universitatea POLITEHNICA din București Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

24/02/2025

📑 The aim of this study is to quantify the surplus and waste of baked goods in , alongside mapping the pathways used for managing unsold bread generated at the supplier-retailer interface 🍞 🥖 🥨

🎯 The results show that just under 180 000 tonnes of baked goods, equivalent to roughly 780 million EUR, are lost or wasted annually, where 14% of production (27 000 tonnes) becomes surplus already at the supplier-retailer interface each year.

✔️ The findings offer valuable insights for future research on sustainable food systems, and can act as practical guidance for industry actors, stakeholders, and policymakers to implement waste-reduction strategies that promote sustainable, resource-efficient food systems🔄

To read the article👉🏾 https://bit.ly/4bdyUP6

SLU Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo Tampere University BOKU University European Commission

19/02/2025

Scenario IV: Engaging stakeholders

🤝 Stakeholder engagement is crucial for creating effective, inclusive and sustainable solutions to complex problems. Stakeholders bring a variety of perspectives, experiences, and expertise that can lead to more comprehensive and effective solutions. Furthermore, by involving stakeholders in a decision-making process, it can build trust and ensure collaborations to reduce food waste even beyond a specific intervention.

innovations:
➡️ Stakeholder dialogue in the bakery value chain: https://bit.ly/3Hugeek
➡️ Stakeholder dialogue in the fish value chain: https://bit.ly/33rpXU4
➡️ Agreements: https://bit.ly/3Hugeek

✅ Strengths of these innovations
◾️ Although stakeholders initially claimed that there was no food waste, after implementation they realised that there was.
◾️ A range of scenarios can be discussed and explored together with stakeholders and this could result in even greater waste reduction than the individual scenarios suggested
◾️ Engaging stakeholders often leads to outcomes that go beyond the intended objectives

❌Weaknesses of these innovations
◾️ The direct impact of stakeholder dialogues, particularly in the short term, is difficult to quantify
◾️ Priorities may vary among different stakeholders and between stakeholders and researchers
◾️ It is difficult for researchers to initiate engagement without partnering with industry organizations, as researchers are often perceived as outsiders by the industry
◾️ The overall lack of collaboration from industry stakeholders regarding discussions on food waste and efforts underscores that not all actors in the food supply chain are prepared to address the issue, with many perceiving it as bearing reputational and financial risks
◾️ Evaluating the connection between actions taken and the outcomes achieved is challenging

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo Tampere University SLU The James Hutton Institute FH Münster European Commission

18/02/2025

Scenario III: Changing consumer behaviour

🏤🍽📲 Educational programs at or the use of waste trackers at school canteens can change the behaviour of pupils to achieve a reduction in food waste generation. Similarly, mobile applications can encourage members to better manage their food at home and prevent food from being wasted.

innovations:
➡️ Educational programme: https://bit.ly/4cGxAoq
➡️ Waste tracker: https://bit.ly/4cGxAoq
➡️ Mobile app: https://bit.ly/43RlXXI

✅ Strengths at schools
◾️ Actions such as educational programs but also the plate waste tracker are useful to increase awareness of pupils in the long term and create a lasting impact
◾️ The waste tracker tool is reported to be very engaging for pupils
◾️ The functionality of the waste trackers’ dashboard was reported by both kitchen staff and pupils as effective and user-friendly
◾️ The feedback indicates strong potential for replication, as all schools integrated the innovation without needing additional resources
◾️ The plate waste tracker requires only a brief implementation period. The same device can then be circulated between different locations
✅ Strengths at household
◾️ A mobile app for food management at home provides valuable assistance for shopping, storage, and meal planning. Many users find it user-friendly for family food planning
◾️ The growing trend of online shopping has impacted the app’s effectiveness: it would work best in partnership with retail companies

❌Weaknesses at schools
◾️ Educational programs may need more tailored approaches to effectively engage students and teachers
◾️ If the kitchen staff at schools does not engage with the system, it will not impact food waste reduction by altering the portion size or the content of the meals
◾️ Minimal time commitment (10 to 15 minutes per day) was reported for kitchen staff
◾️ The students get used to the device and stop paying attention to it after a while
◾️ In school canteens, where multiple classes eat together, it was difficult to segregate the food waste data for specific groups
❌Weaknesses at household
◾️ The mobile app for households is suitable for a specific target group
◾️ If the mobile app lacks user-friendliness, a reliable evaluation is hindered

SLU Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut CozZo Jochen Neustifter Jo's Restaurant Vorchdorf European Commission

14/02/2025

II: Redistributing food

🍎🥦🐟🍽 The redistribution of surplus food involves collecting excess food from sources like grocery stores, restaurants, and farms, and then distributing it to those that have demand for it.

innovations:
➡️ Intermediary organisations: https://bit.ly/3KHtxKf
➡️ Digital platform: https://bit.ly/3KHtxKf
➡️ Reporting software: https://bit.ly/3KHtxKf
➡️ Mobile application: https://bit.ly/43RlXXI

✅
◾️ Additional income can be generated for food streams where no revenues were generated before
◾️ Increase the amount of redistributed surplus food
◾️ When fresh surplus food is processed, larger quantities can be saved from being wasted as the shelf life increases
◾️ Apps and online platforms can help coordinate pickups, track inventory, and connect businesses in real-time
◾️ The time required to place an order for surplus meals is low and the process quite efficient
◾️ Additional devices are not necessary to implement the actions, relying instead on existing technology like smartphones, tablets, or computers
◾️ F&V derivatives with long shelf-life like powders or juices are most suitable to mediate as they have a long shelf-life and this also enables the transaction of large quantities
◾️ The potential for growth is evident, as only 19% of the surplus food offered to the intermediary organisation can currently be redistributed
◾️ None of the companies needed to recruit new personnel for the collaboration

❌
◾️ The mediation of highly perishable products, like fruits, vegetables and seafood through online platforms is challenging.
◾️ The scarcity of demand-side businesses and the unsuitability of some surplus items, like lettuce and radishes, for further processing
◾️ Long transport distances can make the redistribution of surplus food economically and environmentally unfeasible
◾️ Lack of knowledge of certain market segments can diminish the potential to find suitable buyers
◾️ The marketing and persuasive capacity is crucial in building a network. Direct contact is determined as a key success factor
◾️ Requirements complicate the process of CAP mechanism

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo Unverschwendet Leroma GmbH Regione Emilia-Romagna Regione Emilia-Romagna, Agricoltura, caccia e pesca Regusto European Commission

12/02/2025

Food loss & waste reduction scenarios🎯

Based on the analysis of the results of the innovations, we have identified 4️⃣ scenarios, i.e. 4️⃣ ways to reduce food loss and waste📉 The aim of these future scenarios is that food loss and waste will not occur or at least will be significantly reduced and surplus food will be redistributed for human consumption as far as possible.

SCENARIO I: Increasing resource efficiency

☀️💧 Resource efficiency refers to the effective and sustainable use of resources to achieve a desired outcome while minimizing waste and environmental impact. It involves optimizing the use of materials, energy, water, and other resources to produce goods and services in a way that reduces the overall resource consumption and environmental footprint.

innovations:
➡️ Forecasting software: https://bit.ly/3KHtxKf
➡️ Smart bin: https://bit.ly/4cGxAoq

✅ Strengths of these innovations
◾️ Automated forecasting but still based on human experience
◾️ If forecasting software is systematically integrated into daily ordering routines, the error rate could be further reduced, leading to less surplus food and reduced food waste.
◾️ An automated food waste quantification and analysis significantly improves upon traditional manual methods like waste sorting.
◾️ High potential for improvements through artificial intelligence
◾️ The data inventory for forecasting includes a high level of granularity which enables a determination of hotspots and more targeted actions for reduction
◾️ Best choice in supplementation to further reuse activities

❌Weaknesses of these innovations
◾️ Shorter forecasts tend to be more accurate because they use data from recent days. An extended timespan introduces challenges in accuracy
◾️ Kitchens that already have strategies in place for re-using surplus food, for instance by flexibly adapting their menu for the next day, will only see marginal effects from the use of forecasting software. It is recommended to use it at restaurants where the staff is less aware of food waste or facilities with less flexibility to adapt their daily production
◾️ The costs for food waste management solutions may emerge as a barrier in certain markets
◾️ General loss of motivation of the staff for utilizing both applications clearly influence the outcome

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo SLU KITRO European Commission

11/02/2025

In the evaluation of innovations we have followed an interdisciplinary approach to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the innovations against food waste 🎯

☀️💧🌱 In terms of environmental impacts, the most decisive component is the food supply chain. If food waste can be avoided and thereby make the food supply chain more resource-efficient, and food production can probably also be reduced, then a lot of emissions can actually be saved ☑️

📲🚚 All the efforts of innovative action, such as additional use of computers, software, processing or even transport, are insignificant compared to these impacts of the entire food supply chain.

Silvia Scherhaufer from the BOKU University provides the main results in the . Watch it🎞 https://bit.ly/4aYNzOe

European Commission

10/02/2025

📣 SAVE THE DATE 📣

📅 24th February 2025
🕑 14:00 - 17:00
📍 BOKU University in

The overall results of and especially the results of 4️⃣ of the 14 innovations against food loss and waste that were implemented in will be presented:

✅ CozZo mobile application for households
✅ Educational programmes and technical solutions ( ) for school canteens
✅ Distribution of surplus fruit and vegetables from production and processing by Unverschwendet company
✅ forecasting software for bakeries

The potentials and obstacles of large-scale implementation of food waste prevention measures in Austria will be addressed. In addition, the Plate Waste Tracker, the CozZo app and various delicacies from Unverschwendet will be tested on site.

Participation is free of charge❗️ To register👉🏼 https://bit.ly/3QaUwSx

Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut Jochen Neustifter Jo's Restaurant Vorchdorf European Commission

05/02/2025

📅Join the final event on Monday 17 February 2025 in , at the headquarters of the Emilia-Romagna Region 📍

We will disseminate the overall results of the project on food waste reduction at regional level together with the results of the Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna research quantifying in economic terms the social impact of the S.I.R. system📉

The partners will emphasise the role of public administrations in the creation of support networks for the Third Sector and, consequently, for fragile segments of the population👥

To register👉🏽 https://bit.ly/3CCsbBv

Regione Emilia-Romagna Regione Emilia-Romagna, Agricoltura, caccia e pesca EmporioRimini CAL Centro AgroAlimentare e Logistica Parma European Commission

04/02/2025

policy and market recommendations for the diffusion of sustainable and competitive innovations that reduce food loss and waste in real value chains✅

Another barrier identified during the focus groups with innovators was the lack of data to exploit the technology underpinning the innovations. We therefore propose Strategy 6️⃣ to introduce regulations requiring food companies to collect data on 📊 This would ensure, for example, that all decision support applications are accurate and reliable.

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

03/02/2025

policy and market recommendations for the diffusion of sustainable and competitive innovations that reduce food loss and waste in real value chains✅

Given the barrier identified in the focus groups with innovators about the lack of motivation of citizens, Strategy 5️⃣ consists in carrying out public awareness and information campaigns targeted at citizens👥 (e.g. pilot programmes in school canteens).

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

31/01/2025

Highlights on the efficiency of innovations to reduce food waste🎯

Claudia Giordano from Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke) provides some results on the ambitious methodology applied and the difficulty of controlling food waste in all conditions🔀

The type of innovations that worked best were those that monitor food waste in canteens🍴 They record food waste from guests' plates with artificially intelligent cameras📲

Watch the to find out more🎞

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

29/01/2025

policy and market recommendations for the diffusion of sustainable and competitive innovations that reduce food loss and waste in real value chains✅

Following the barrier identified during the focus groups with innovators on the lack of motivation of entrepreneurs, Strategy 4️⃣ proposes to introduce regulations that force companies to reduce 📉 (e.g. penalty fee).

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

27/01/2025

policy and market recommendations for the diffusion of sustainable and competitive innovations that reduce food loss and waste in real value chains✅

During the focus groups with the innovators, a barrier to the implementation of the innovations was identified as lack of motivation of entrepreneurs. Strategy 3️⃣provides incentives for companies that reduce food loss and waste making it more profitable for them💲 (e.g. waste tax reduction).

DIBAF - Unitus European Commission

24/01/2025

We continue to present policy and market recommendations for the diffusion of sustainable and competitive innovations that reduce food loss and waste in real value chains✅

Following the barrier identified during the focus groups with innovators on the lack of between , Strategy 2️⃣ is to support new networks of cooperation between innovators, so that they can easily share information and data📊 This is not easy to achieve, as innovators generally want to keep proprietary information, but the impact on can be large🔝

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - Viterbo European Commission

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