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Project title

FIX-�ire: Food Waste Footprint Index for Ireland

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin)

Lead Applicant

Anushree Priyadarshini

Project Abstract

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) calculate that 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste is produced globally per annum, directly contributing to food shortages, water stress, biodiversity loss, ≈10% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and economic losses of €550 billion. Approximately 1.27 million tonnes of food waste is generated in Ireland annually, representing a carbon footprint of 3.6 million tonnes (CO2), with Irelands commitment to the UN SDGs necessitating a 50% reduction in both food waste and emissions by 2030. Thus, increasingly accurate quantification (and forecasting) of food waste generation and subsequent assessment of associated environmental, climactic and economic implications is critical. To date, little if any progress has been made in this area in the ROI. Accordingly, the FIX-ÉIRE project will seek to fill these knowledge gaps via a structured programme of focused work-packages, run in concurrence with two ongoing projects (Food Waste in Ireland – Assessment, Environmental & Economic Burden, and Mitigation Strategies (FORWARD); Health, Environmental and Economic Impact of Dietary Patterns in Ireland (HEED)) within the EPA-funded STEER Group. Specifically, FIX-ÉIRE will i.) identify and quantify dietary patterns and food waste production across Irish households using longitudinal (seasonal) geographically and socio-economically focused survey and diary-based research tools already developed as part of the HEED and FORWARD Projects (Objective 1; WP2); ii.) Map and analyse dietary surveys and food waste diaries to assess (geo-statistics and time-series) and forecast (machine learning and micro-simulation) current and future dietary patterns across Ireland, delineated by spatial location, season, demographic and socio-economic profile (e.g., identification of current/future food waste hotspots) (Objective 2, WP3); iii.) using data and outcomes from Objectives 1 and 2, employ Life Cycle (Cost) Analysis (LCA/LCCA) to measure the economic costs and environmental impacts of generated food waste in Ireland with a particular focus on greenhouse gas emissions, water use and land use, with LCA/LCCA delineated based on findings from WP3 e.g., gender- or diet-specific, geographical regions, socio-economic cohorts, etc (Objective 3, WP4); and iv.) integrate data and outcomes from WP2-4 to develop a mapped “food waste footprint index” including spatio-temporal food waste generation, and the environmental and economic impacts of this waste stream in Ireland, capable of manual-input scenario and sensitivity analyses via a spreadsheet-based graphic user interface (Objective 4; WP5). The food waste footprint index tool will be used to identify current and future economic cost savings and environmental protection opportunities via mapping of food waste generators over existing transportation and waste management/utilisation infrastructure to facilitate (for example) waste transport optimisation, identification of logic-based locations for new organic recycling facilities, and regions in which “dietary switching” may be preferable.

Grant Approved

�196,343.20

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

31/03/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

30/11/2025