Facing Food Challenges
Featured Exploring Opportunities for Sustainable Healthy Foods through the Upcycled Food Certification View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alissa Bilfield, Irene Yoon
Upcycling food is a technical solution for reducing food loss and food waste within the food system that can address a multiplicity of climate-related challenges. While the practice of upcycling food has existed for millennia and across cultures since the industrialization of the modern food system there have been new opportunities to integrate these practices at a larger scale. In response to this opportunity, social entrepreneurs and innovators have begun to create new food products using upcycled approaches inspired by the model of the circular economy. At the organizational level, a new certification program recognizes these efforts. However, there has been a gap in research and analysis to understand where these food products fit into a healthy diet pattern. Given the importance of ensuring a sustainable healthy diet, this research categorizes certified upcycled foods based on the NOVA classification system and offers recommendations for upcycled food manufacturers for communicating the nutritional value of their products.
Understanding Consumers' Food Choice Practices and Willingness to Consume "Up-cycled" Products: An Attempt to Close the South African Food Waste Loop
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nadene Marx Pienaar, Gerrie Elizabeth du Rand, Hennie Fisher, Hanri Taljaard Swart
Global estimates suggest that one-third to half of all food produced is lost or wasted at various stages of the food value chain. International trends suggest that food wastage moves up the supply chain, from pre-to post-consumer stages, as a country's development level increases. Therefore, South Africa, as an emerging economy, may see similar trends in food waste over time. Recent figures estimate SA food waste at R61.5 billion per annum. With FAO reports underscoring the food insecurity of many SA households, addressing food wastage in SA has become significant. Whilst waste composition studies confirm that we need to address and prevent the vast amounts of wasted food, recent emphasis is shifting towards considering possible opportunities for food waste to be re-engineered back into cycle via "Up-cycling". With this being said, although upcycling is gaining traction in terms of global interest, presenting it as a possible solution that might close the food waste loop is not a simple task. To validate the idea of upcycling, this study sought information regarding the characteristics of actual foods wasted, possible techniques to valourise them, and consumers' interest and possible reactions towards up-cycled products. Initial results revealed that given the unconventionality of these products, many SA consumers seemed hesitant to engage due to concerns about quality and safety, i.e. heightened risk perception. Some uncovered positives include that consumers were more eager to buy and consume products made from fruit and vegetable waste which was also the commodities mostly wasted in SA.
Stephen F. Austin State University’s Food Pantry: Change Is All Around Us View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Leslie Cecil
Stephen F. Austin State University is a regional university in rural East Texas. We currently have 11,327 enrolled students (9823 undergraduate and 1504 graduate students). Being in a rural region with food deserts and a student population that relies heavily on financial aid, it is not unusual to encounter food insecurity among our students. In 2015, SFA opened its food pantry and in 2018, the author began surveying SFA’s students as to food insecurity and the food pantry. Many of the questions asked were those surveyed at other universities so as to have comparable data. Interestingly, SFA students do not follow the food insecurity trends seen at many other universities. This paper examines those differences and how the changing of the location of the food pantry affects student participation in the program.
