Food waste represents a serious problem in the European Union, accounting for a total of 88 million tonnes per year at an estimated cost of 143 billion euros. The most significant losses occur in fruit and vegetables, during all stages of the value chain, from production, storage and distribution to households, accounting for around 45% of the total. Aware of this fact, the idea of this project arises, which aims to be a benchmark in the reduction and valorisation of food waste, addressing specific stages of the fruit and vegetable value chain, including storage, distribution and processing. This will be done by transitioning the current agri-food system to a more sustainable one, achieving a significant and measurable impact on food waste reduction. This change will use a multidisciplinary approach, involving different actors. It is a circular bioeconomy project that will increase opportunities to make use of plant materials that are not marketable but are perfectly suitable for consumption. The project will be led by IRTA in collaboration with Mercabarna, Banc dels Aliments and INPROUS. This cooperation will enhance the strategic objectives of the Barcelona Sustainable Food Strategy 2030: the fight against food waste. The overall objective of the project is to ensure an integrated value fit of non-marketable Fruits and Vegetables, providing good post-harvest management practices of food surpluses from reception to distribution and introducing some pioneering strategies for the valorisation of by-products, which will allow converting non-marketable plant material into potential ingredients of high quality products. The expected results include the extension of the shelf life of some plant species, as well as the development of new by-products that will significantly benefit the food system of the city of Barcelona, making it healthier, fairer and more sustainable.
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