Food waste is a significant global challenge, with approximately 30% of all produced food going to waste, despite ongoing hunger issues. In the European Union, although efforts have led to a decline in food waste, this reduction has recently plateaued. Notably, food loss occurring on and near farms has been found to be higher than previously estimated.

Our ZeroW SILL 4 pilot is specifically targeting these high-waste areas within agricultural supply chains. A critical takeaway from the conference was the concern that too much food waste and loss is diverted to biogas production. This diverts potential resources away from human consumption or animal feed.

The ZeroW SILL 4 initiative aims to repurpose fruits and vegetables removed from the market to stabilize prices. Our goal is to redirect these resources to human consumption through donation programs. However, the current food redistribution infrastructure lacks the logistical capacity to handle large peak volumes, posing a significant bottleneck. Resulting in only 10% of redrawn fruit and vegetables to be used for human consumption.  

To overcome this challenge, we propose processing fresh fruits and vegetables into long shelf-life products. This approach would allow for year-round donations, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious food to those in need. 

Achieving these goals requires legislative support on different levels. This was exactly the topic of our contribution to the breakout session on policy and legislation where we advocated for the current Flemish law to allow the processing and redistribution of surplus produce. We are actively engaging in policy workshops to drive these necessary changes, aiming to create a more efficient and effective food redistribution system.   

The conference highlighted both the complexity of the food waste issue and the innovative solutions being developed. By focusing on farm-level waste and improving redistribution logistics, initiatives like ZeroW SILL 4 are paving the way towards more sustainable food systems. Continued collaboration across sectors and supportive legislative frameworks will be crucial in advancing these efforts and achieving significant reductions in food waste.