Overview
To tackle food waste, for instance in the hospitality sector, there is a great potential for resource related to food overproduction or packaging. The overall objective is the implementation of Circular Economy Hubs in the food sector in five alpine pilot regions to identify potentials for food waste and CO2 reduction. The involved actors benefit from know-how transfer, networking as well as the use of a digital, intelligent decision support system based on Life-Cycle-Assessment indicators. The activities are aimed at directly and indirectly involved stakeholders in food cycles such as manufacturing companies, trading companies, the hotel industry, but also energy providers. The project will enable different stakeholders to take into account resource and CO2 savings and strengthen sustainable and circular economic competitiveness in the Alps.
Factsheet
- 2021 – 2027
- Carbon neutral and resource sensitive Alpine region
- SO 2.2 - Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy
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- AG6 Natural resources
- 11/2022
- 10/2025
- 2.386.438 EUR
- 1.789.828 EUR
Partners
- Lead partner
- Austria
- Salzburg (AT32)
- Puch bei Hallein
- Eva Lienbacher
- eva.lienbacher@fh-salzburg.ac.at
- Austria
- Wien (AT13)
- Vienna
- Daniel Orth
- orth@ecology.at
- Slovenia
- Vzhodna Slovenija (SI03)
- Ptuj
- Darko Ferčej
- darko@ezavod.si
- France
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (FRL0)
- Nice
- Laurent SOULIER
- finpub.europe@cote-azur.cci.fr
- Slovenia
- Zahodna Slovenija (SI04)
- Kranj
- Helena Cvenkel
- helena.cvenkel@bsc-kranj.si
- France
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (FRL0)
- Marseille Cedex 02
- Karim El Arnaouty
- k.elarnaouty@avitem.org
- Italy
- Piemonte (ITC1)
- ASTI
- Sonia Abluton
- sonia@lamoro.it
- Italy
- Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen (ITH1)
- Bolzano
- Manuela Irsara
- Manuela.irsara@idm-suedtirol.com
- Germany
- Oberbayern (DE21)
- München
- Susanne Wigger-Spintig
- Susanne.spintig@hm.edu
- Germany
- Schwaben (DE27)
- Augsburg
- Anja Beckord
- Anja.Beckord@umweltcluster.net
- 47.72412113.086338
- 48.200280816.3453075
- 46.41779384999999515.874825928236131
- 43.704157.275177637275622
- 46.246576514.3644724
- 43.30567315.444226820336164
- 44.90223978.2071723
- 46.497845311.3534085
- 48.1535903511.553143192240475
- 48.4005549510.933246443146322
Outcomes
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Alpine-wide methodology of LCA indicators in defined food streams
Consolidation of already existing LCAs to track ecological and C02 implications of food production, distribution and waste, leading to the development of a comprehensive and replicable LCA methodology to assess food streams in defined food product categories. Regional specifics are considered, stakeholders inside and outside the respective food streams identified in order to close food cycles. Provides the baseline for AS common methodology implementation for piloting closed food cycles. -
Establishment of Circular Food Hubs
This output is devoted to exploiting the project results/ achievements. Exploitation plan is produced in the first year and is constantly updated during the course of the project to ensure that the results of the project and the relevant associated initiatives are successfully conveyed to the appropriate stakeholders, to the public and international community. A main focus is also laid on the appropriateness of information for local users (language, accessibility, pre-information). -
User-friendly Intelligent Digital LCA Service System (IDLCASS)
IDLCASS is an AI-powered platform that evaluates and measures food resource impact on CO2 emission throughout food streams based on existing and newly collected data. Data analytics in food waste and re-use potential help moving towards closed food cycles and reap best decisions in terms of quality and reliability. IDLCASS is based on a secure software to protect IP and user data. Integration of tool chains supports CE-based decisionmaking by integrating stakeholders' own cost structures. -
Pilots of smart, closed food cycles (CEFoodCycles)
Participatory tools such as workshops or innovation labs that allow relevant stakeholders along the defined food stream (within selected product categories) to get to know each other; exchange relevant CE experiences and identify pressure points needed to develop new circular business solutions. Also, in-depth analysis of their business models will allow to identify (digital) information points needed to develop LCA standards and digital operating system. -
Policy Recommendations
Promotion of the use of regional products and waste reduction through capitalization, awareness raising and networking for CE-based solutions and the role of digitization tested in CEFoodCycle pilots. Suggestion of policies for political framing approaches at regional and national levels, based on the results of project pilots, to contribute to a just transition towards circular economy for all stakeholders along the cross-regional food chain. -
IDLCASS Network Established
Participatory processes in each phase of the project favors sustainability of results and outputs beyond the end of the CEFoodCycle project. Stakeholders along the food value stream across countries / local communities are engaged in addressing circular economy and food waste management through a bottom-up approach. By disseminating CEFoodCycle experiences and sharing know-how / results with other regions, municipalities and communities help mutual learning among users and policy makers.
Pilots
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FlyUp-Cycle: Creating sustainable closed food cycle with the star of insect farming - the Black Soldier Fly (BSF)
Short Description The FlyUp-Cycle pilot demonstrates an innovative closed food cycle model in Slovenia, converting organic waste with Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae into high-quality insect protein and compost-like residues. This pilot aims to reduce food waste, create sustainable supply chains, and promote circular economy practices. By involving multiple stakeholders (supply-business support-demand), including local food producers, waste managers, and feed manufacturers, the project fosters collaboration and showcases the potential of insect farming for ecological and economic benefits. The primary objective is to develop and test a scalable closed food cycle that reduces food waste and enhances resource efficiency with the support of local partners. This includes:- Converting organic waste into sustainable product (insect protein). This cycle demonstrates efficient waste conversion (15–20 % biomass yield) and produces dried larvae as a high-protein alternative.
- Establishing collaborative frameworks among stakeholders to promote circular economy practices.
- Providing policy recommendations to enable the broader adoption of closed food cycles.
- Technology performance: demonstrating the BSF lifecycle, waste conversion processes, and product preparation.
- Stakeholder engagement: workshops, webinars, and interviews to align objectives and share best practices.
- Capacity building: training sessions to educate stakeholders on the technology and circular economy principles.
- Awareness-raising: promotional activities, highlighting environmental and economic benefits.
- Policy development: collecting data and drafting recommendations based on pilot results.
- Supply: bakery (old bread), brewery (spent grain), vegetable cultivation. (waste tomato fruit), agro-industrial plant (maize grits).
- Demand: pet shops with reptiles, national terrariums and vivariums, research institutes.
- Technology provider: Sole trader.
- CEFoodCycle partners:
- E-zavod: Coordinating the pilot's design and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and workshop facilitation.
- BSC Kranj: Supporting local stakeholder mapping and identifying policy implications.
- University of Applied Sciences Salzburg: Providing expertise in circular economy frameworks.
- Cluster of Environmental Technologies Bavaria: Offering technical guidance for scaling and replication.
Videos
Downloads
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DownloadThe paper titled: From Farm to Fork: Addressing Food Waste in Households, authored by Beatriz Hoffmann-Kuhnt, was published with the proceedings of the 2024 European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship - therefore engaging the scientific community. The paper complements the CEFoodCycle project’s goal of creating a circular food system by underscoring the importance of food waste reduction as a critical component in minimising resource loss across the food supply chain, which is key to closing the loop. Additionally, it highlights the crucial role of end consumer and how they contribute to the overall efficiency of the CEFoodCycle project’s overarching goals of reducing food waste.
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The survey conducted among establishments in the coffee-hotel-restaurant (CHR) sector between February 26 and March 15, 2024, al-lowed to: • Better estimate the biowaste produc-tion, particularly through a better un-derstanding of the activity. • Identify notable actions in the manage-ment and recovery of biowaste. • Identify the barriers and constraints to implementing the actions of biowaste recovery.Download
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To assess the different practices and contexts within agricultural systems, relevant for environmental footprinting, a comparison of national and regional data was conducted as part of the project CEFoodCycle. While previous studies have highlighted the global significance of food waste and the multiple benefits of transitioning to a Circular Economy, there is a lack of detailed analysis focusing on how regional variations in the food value chain impact LCA metrics within the Alpine region. Part 2 focuses on Processing and Retail.Download
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Download
To assess the different practices and contexts within agricultural systems, relevant for environmental footprinting, a comparison of national and regional data was conducted as part of the project CEFoodCycle. While previous studies have highlighted the global significance of food waste and the multiple benefits of transitioning to a Circular Economy, there is a lack of detailed analysis focusing on how regional variations in the food value chain impact LCA metrics within the Alpine region.
Part 1 focuses on Agriculture. -
This brochure is written with the intent to convey key insights into strategies to minimise food waste and to understand the key stake-holders in the food value stream in the partici-pating countries. Based on a desk research phase between January and November 2023, some key figures are presented regarding the food market structure in the Alpine Region. Furthermore, best practices of companies that use food waste as a resource are presented and circular food hubs shortly introduced.Download
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This review provides a concise introduction and overview on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Studies on food waste and food products. The respective methodologies are explored and compared.Download
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These educational best practice cards can be used in classes, at events, training courses etc. to break down the complex topic of circular economy to a tangible level using real company examples.Download
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All information on the CEFoodCycle Award (application possible until the end of March 2024) in English.Download
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All information on the CEFoodCycle Award (application possible until the end of March 2024) in German.Download
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Submission form (English version) for the CEFoodCycle Award (application possible until the end of March 2024).Download
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Submission form (German version) for the CEFoodCycle Award (application possible until the end of March 2024).Download
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This presentation looks at artificial intelligence and circular innovation and shows the status quo of B2B platforms in agri food settings and their regions of operation. as of: December 2023Download