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Project title

Efficient Food

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Institute of Technology Tralee

Lead Applicant

Jennifer Attard

Project Abstract

The Efficient Food project will provide an in-depth understanding of the current food production and food waste situation in Ireland by mapping out the different sources of food waste along the entire supply chain. Stakeholders and industry experts with knowledge of any part of the food supply chain (harvest, transport, processing, packaging, distribution, retail & household) will be engaged in the research through interviews to determine not only the extent of food waste in their respective sectors, but also the reasons behind the losses. This information, along with extensive literature research, will allow the Efficient Food project to provide recommendations most suitable for Ireland, both to further monitor and improve knowledge on the current situation, and also to reduce food losses through a combination of ICT/IoT/Industry 4.0 solutions, educational materials and policy-driven solutions. These recommendations will be produced as a publicly available and user-friendly roadmap as well as an extensive report in the form of an open access peer-reviewed article. Expected outputs include the production of an infographic detailing findings of food loss across the supply chain and where food loss is most problematic. The infographic will be hosted on the ABC Economy and ICT-Biochain websites and shared via twitter by month 9 of the project. Utilising the infographic and having developed potential solutions / interventions, a leaflet which presents this information in an easily accessible format for stakeholders (farmers, foresters, business owners) will be distributed at events e.g. national ploughing championships, ABC Economy / ICT-Biochain events. A roadmap will be produced by project end detailing suitable interventions at differing levels of risk/cost to food supply chain stakeholders and potential cost savings, to be utilised by policy makers. One open access peer-reviewed journal article will be submitted for publication quantifying food loss in the supply chain with potential reasons for these losses along with solutions/policy interventions. Outputs from this research will assist in increasing understanding of food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses through creating a diagram of food loss hotspots. This infographics along with leaflet and roadmap will help achieve improved resource efficiency by suggesting technological / behavioural / policy interventions.

Grant Approved

�97,235.40

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

Resource efficiency

Start Date

31/03/2020

Initial Projected Completion Date

30/03/2021