Circular Food System
A circular food systems approach encompasses primary production, food processing, packaging and shelf life to ensure a safe, healthy and sustainable food supply. The global demand for food is expected to continue with an increasing global population, stimulating new approaches to produce food sustainably with reduced environmental impact. Diversification is a crucial component of innovation in this area, and plant-based alternatives fall into this category, including manufacturing new ingredients and upcycling by-product streams. This is in addition to optimising existing animal-based production and processing systems while maintaining the highest quality and safety standards. Food for health and reducing food waste are priorities of this theme, in that a large percentage of the global population is overweight or undernourished. Research focuses on generating safe and nutritious foods through diversification and valorisation, and the promotion of circular use of food resources by reducing waste and improving nutrition with reduced environmental impact.
Priorities
- Evaluating alternative protein sources made from plants (e.g. grains and legumes) and formulating plant based and hybrid food products.
- Ensuring the food safety, nutrition and quality of “climate-friendly” foods.
- Reducing food waste by developing food waste stream conversion-bioprocessing (circular economy).
- Nutritional profiling of foods per kg CO2
- Evaluate and test eco-friendly packaging- recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging.
Immediate actions
- Reducing food waste
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Alternative protein sources
The Bioprocess Innovation Suite at Teagasc Moorepark is a "one stop shop" for bioprocess development, optimisation and scale up. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc, the suite consists of an array of bioreactors, some with automated liquid handling and sampling, and an adjacent microbiology prep lab.
Current Climate Centre research projects focusing on this research priority
Bord Bia Sustainability Strategy for Irish Food
On this episode of The Signpost Series which took place on Friday, 21 April 2023, Pat Murphy, Head of Teagasc Environment KT was joined by Mick Houlihan, Senior Manager, Agricultural Sustainability, Bord Bia to discuss the Bord Bia Sustainability Strategy for Irish Food. A questions and answers session took place at the end of the webinar which was facilitated by Andy Boland, Teagasc Environment Specialist.