In Brief

The Challenge

Food is at the core of sustaining human life but is a resource that is wasted at immense cost to society. Simultaneously, food insecurity is experienced by 9% of the Irish population. Currently, over a third of food is being wasted but the Irish Government, European Commission and United Nations targets all aim to half food waste by 2030. There is also a strong business case for reducing food loss and waste (FLW) to deliver a net positive return. Local and international research shows that numerous isolated solutions can address individual causes of FLW at the specific step of the food supply chain where they are experienced, however, as reasons for FLW are interlinked and systemic, it is necessary to use a total value network approach.

The Solution

The proposed FRED-Support hub aims to take a total value network approach to address food loss and waste via a method known as Agent-Based Modelling to better understand the entire food supply chain in its many forms, including the real local impact of a solution, or combination of solutions. The project will involve a food system stakeholder collaboration network (supported by FoodCloud), a co-created, open-access food loss and waste intervention database, an interactive food loss and waste impact evaluator and a digital food loss and waste prevention support hub.

The Team

  • Team Lead: Dr Jennifer Attard, Munster Technological University 
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr Tamara Hochstrasser, University College Dublin 

Societal Impact Champion

  • Angela Ruttledge, FoodCloud