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Even though the problem of resource depletion of our planet is getting increasingly worse, most of the input of agro-food industry is discarded, causing expensive management and disposal issues. According to the Circular Economy principles, these problems can be faced by giving more value to wastage, turning it into inputs to innovative supply chains: the biorefineries. The BIOWAFER project addresses those issues investigating how agri-food by-products consistently produced in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) can be assigned to consecutive biorefinery processes integrated in order to obtain high-added value molecules for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Among all food chains considered, tomato, wine and cheese industries were chosen for waste valorisation. In order to overcome the seasonal waste production, a detailed analysis of storage and stabilization of the by-products was performed. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was chosen to obtain hyaluronic acid through waste fermentation process. The biorefinery was integrated with waste bioconversion by Hermetia illucens larvae followed by sustainable chemical extraction processes of potential antioxidants, lipids and peptides. Finally, the residues of all the above-mentioned phases will be used for pyro-gasification, to obtain biochar and syngas for agronomic and energy purposes respectively, allowing the closure of the supply chains in a circular way. Many other circular approaches are presented in literature, but, in our knowledge, no one use fermentation coupled with larvae rearing for waste reduction and conversion. Despite some challenges in scaling-up the proposed biorefinery, the project aims to overcome a linear production system by making the supply chains increasingly circular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Galician Journal of Economics / Revista Galega de Economía is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highlights • The pasta supply chain represents an example of circular economy. • Each kg of pasta produces about 1.98 kg of FLW throughout its entire lifecycle. • Approximately 94% of FLW per kg of produced pasta is reused in alternative sectors. • Aligning to the literature most FLW happen in agricultural and consumption phases. Abstract Food loss and waste (FLW) is one of the most serious social, economic and environmental issues undermining our planet's sustainability, and by reducing it some UN Sustainable Development Goals may be achieved. The European Commission Circular Economy (CE) Package foresees FLW prevention, but to date few studies have adopted the CE perspective for analysing FLW. In 2017 only 20% of the world's 50 largest food companies have established FLW reduction programs. However, reducing FLW is also beneficial for company economic sustainability since it was observed that for every dollar invested in reducing FLW there is a saving of 14 dollars in operating costs. Therefore, main aim of this research is to quantify the main FLW and their causes along the FSC of the pasta production and to understand if these FLW could be reused according to the CE approach. Based on a single case study analysis, for the first time, this study quantifies FLW along the pasta supply chain, emphasizing FLW valorisation from a CE perspective using the global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard. Our results show that pasta supply chain is a good example of CE as little is lost. Food losses in the field are very limited (less than 2%), while the straw obtained during the harvest is normally used as animal feed and litter. The losses generated during the grinding of the wheat and pasta production amounted to approximately 2%. In line with previous literature, most FLW occurs during the cultivation and consumption, thus demonstrating that further research is required in order to reduce FLW in these two supply chain phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recursos Rurais is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)