Project ZeroW - what it is all about

About the ZeroW project

Systemic innovations for zero food waste

What is ZeroW about?

ZeroW is a €12 million EU project about systemic innovations for zero food waste, funded under the Green Deal call of the Horizon Programme 2020 (Grant Agreement no. 101036388).

The European Commission will closely monitor the project's results and progress over the next four years in relation to future EU legislation on reduction of food waste.

The project runs from 2022 to 2025 and is implemented in collaboration among 46 stakeholders from 17 countries.

Project ZeroW

Objectives

Create innovative solutions to reduce food waste through nine systemic innovation living labs

Develop commercial, digital tools and instruments that contribute to the achievement of food waste reduction targets

Contribute to the European Commission’s ongoing legislative initiatives in the area of food waste reduction

We need to reduce food loss and waste (FLW)

About 20% of the food produced in the EU goes to waste!

ZeroW directly addresses the challenge of food loss and waste by developing and testing a synergetic mix of innovations in real life conditions, with the aim to deliver ambitious reductions at all stages of the food supply chain from pre-harvest to consumption.

Project goal

FLW reduction is essential for the transition to sustainable food systems through the substantial reduction of resource use and GHG emissions.

ZeroW will provide credible solutions for significantly reducing FLW, involving all actors in the food system in a collaborative framework, to accelerate the just transition to a social, economic and environmentally sustainable food system for all.

The role of food systems of providing safe, nutritious and affordable foods for all citizens, including vulnerable groups, is embedded and considered along ZeroW demonstrative innovative solutions.

See more Facts on FLW.

Systemic Innovations Towards a Zero Food Waste Supply Chain

The global food system is a major contributor to climate change as it accounts for more than 30% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

Approximately one third of the food produced is never consumed but either lost or wasted somewhere in the value chain.

This is a major problem that urgently calls for systemic innovation and the ZeroW project is working on developing just that.

Learn more about systemic innovations and ZeroW Living Labs

Want to learn more about innovations for zero food loss and waste?

Go to Living Labs

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What food system challenges are we trying to tackle in ZeroW?

According to FAO every year astonishing 1/3 of food produced ends up lost due to the poor transportation and harvesting practices or wasted on the retailers and consumers level.

To tackle this, EU has set an ambitious target through Green Deal’s Farm to Fork Strategy of halving per capita food loss and waste by 2030.

ZeroW project intends to be a major driving force in reducing food loss and waste and drive EU agenda by employing systemic innovation and supporting the dual ambition: to halve FLW by 2030 and ensure the enabling conditions for near-zero FLW by 2050.

ICP’s (ZeroW Coordinator) Director of EU Projects and Business Development Yash Chadha presented the ZeroW project on 2021 Farm to Fork Conference organised by European Commission (14-15 October 2021) giving a short insight in systemic innovations ZeroW Partners will be testing and implementing.

Who is behind?

The ZeroW project is funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101036388. 46 partners across all of Europe are involved in the project, finding new and innovative ways to reduce food loss and waste.

See project partners