L16 - food waste and upcycling

What are upcycled foods?

are products which use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption and have a positive impact on the environment

What is the heirarchy for wasted foods in order for most preferred to least preferred?

prevent wasted food, donate or upcycle, feed animals or leave unharvested, compost or anaerobic digestion, or apply to the land and avoid landfill

What is kai commitment?

government industry cofunded partnership where companies set a target to reduce food waste in their own organisation

What are the environmental and economic pros and trade offs of upcycling?

environmental benefits of reduced GHGE but high energy processing and diversion from animal feed, economic benefits of creating new value chain but cost of new and safe supply chains

What is benefit 1 for the social pillar of upcycling?

job creation and economic empowerment: new jobs across the value chain and new revenue sources for farmers

What is benefit 2 for the social pillar of upcycling?

addressing specific dietary needs: enriching products with fibre and protein

What is benefit 3 for the social pillar of upcycling?

education and public awareness: products engage customers on food waste and can lead to a spillover effect for proenvironmental behaviours

What is risk 1 of the social pillar for upcycling?

the nutritional pitfall: creating a health halo for ultra processed foods

What is risk 2 of the social pillar for upcycling?

the affordability barrier: premium pricing can exclude some people and ‘waste’ ingredients sold as luxury

What is risk 3 of the social pillar for upcycling?

the systemic risk: competition with food rescue organisations