AREFLH is a partner of LOWINFOOD, a project that focuses on “Multi-actor design of low-waste food value chains through the demonstration of innovative solutions to reduce food loss and waste”. LOWINFOOD supports the reduction of the loss and waste in the European Union by demonstrating innovative solutions following a multi-actor approach along the entire value chain.
A recent study published in the media "Sustainable Production and Consumption" quantifies the surplus and waste of baked goods in Sweden, highlighting strategies for managing unsold bread.
Sweden wastes nearly 180,000 tons of baked goods annually, with 51% generated at the supplier-retailer interface. Take-back agreements, where unsold bread is returned to suppliers, contribute to 14% of production becoming surplus. Only 2% of this surplus is recirculated into the food system, with most used for energy production. While take-back agreements promote circularity, they also lead to significant economic and environmental costs.
LOWINFOOD researchers mapped and assessed different pathways for handling surplus bread through stakeholder dialogues, literature reviews, and industry data. Results show that prevention and valorization strategies, such as data sharing and price reductions, offer the greatest potential for reducing waste and environmental impact. Prevention alone can lower climate impact by up to ten times per kilogram of bread.
Scenario analyses demonstrated that waste reduction is best achieved through preventative measures and alternative surplus pathways at the retail-bakery interface. These insights support industry actors in implementing waste-reducing changes and shaping policy recommendations that favor prevention and high-value valorization, ultimately contributing to a more resource-efficient food system.
The outcome of this study can be directly used to support industry actors who want to implement changes that reduce waste or promote high-value valorization pathways. The results can also guide in developing policy recommendations that economically favor prevention and valorization toward human consumption and provide a valuable basis for future research on resource-efficient food systems.
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This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No.101000439
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