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News items
27.11.2023

Over the past year, most Norwegians have reduced the waste of the most expensive food items, but we still discard a significant amount of bread, vegetables, and liquid dairy products. Smaller packaging sizes might offer the solution.

On behalf of Matvett, NORSUS conducts annual consumer surveys about Norwegians' habits, attitudes, and behaviors related to food waste.

This year's survey reveals a significant decrease in waste of relatively expensive food items. However, the most discarded items remain bread, vegetables, liquid dairy products, and beverages, with most of the waste being unused or partially used food. The primary reasons for waste include forgetting about food in the fridge or elsewhere, short shelf life or poor quality upon purchase, and buying too much. Over-purchasing often results from oversized consumer packaging, miscalculating needs, or forgetting what's at home.

Forty-something-year-olds are the worst offenders

It has long been known that younger individuals waste the most, but this trend appears to be shifting: Young people have reduced their self-reported food waste from 2022 to 2023, while older individuals have increased theirs. Now, those aged between 40 and 50 waste the most.

The survey also shows that individuals who regularly harvest, hunt, cultivate, or fish their food report less waste than others, while those who frequently use take-away services report more waste.

The food industry's role and responsibility

Our report and research from the EU's Consumer Food Waste Forum indicates that the food industry and authorities bear a significant responsibility in aiding consumers to reduce waste. Shelf life, quality, packaging sizes, along with measures or nudges to assist consumers in making responsible choices during critical food waste moments, are areas where the food industry and authorities should further focus to help consumers waste less food.

More concretely, this involves:

  • The food industry developing and utilizing new technology and innovations to improve product quality and shelf life.
  • The food industry, for certain product categories, working on more flexible consumer packaging sizes (primarily applicable to bread, fruits and vegetables, and liquid dairy products).
  • The food industry and other entities developing new innovative digital and physical solutions (e.g., introducing 2D codes including expiration dates, smart refrigerators, storage solutions, apps, etc.) for better oversight, planning, reminders, and inspiration to consume food before it spoils (push notifications).
  • The food industry and authorities influencing consumer behavior in critical moments of food waste (planning, purchasing, storage, preparation, and consumption) by nudging on packaging and at the point of purchase and developing solutions to help consumers waste less.
  • The government funding research and innovations to better understand how to reduce food waste and increase the rate of reduction toward 2030 and beyond.


How to waste less bread?

In the Norwegian Research Council (NFR) financed project "Bread Rescuers," owned by Nofima, our researcher Aina Stensgård will investigate how the food industry can help consumers waste less, with a specific focus on bread. The project will test various consumer interventions and business strategies to reduce bread waste from production to consumption.

News items
19.10.2023

A new report from NORSUS reveals that the younger generation (under 30 years old) reported the most significant reduction in edible food waste in 2023 and is no longer the worst culprits. In a time when everything is becoming more expensive, and food budgets are getting tighter, there may be a natural explanation for this, as more people understand the connection between using up food and saving money.

Every year, Matvett and NORSUS conduct qualitative surveys to gauge the behavior and attitudes of Norwegians regarding edible food waste. The results are based on self-reported food waste and not on what is actually discarded, which is assessed through waste composition analyses.

This year's results show that consumers report wasting three percent less food compared to the previous year. It is particularly expensive food items like meat and fish that are wasted less, leading to a 10 percent reduction in the economic value of food waste. Bread and bakery products, fruits and vegetables, as well as liquid dairy products and beverages, are the items most frequently discarded, and most of what is thrown away is either unused or partially used.

Young people under the age of 30 used to be the biggest food wasters, but this year, they reported the most significant reduction in food waste and are no longer 'worst in class'. Although the oldest group (over 60 years) still wastes the least, self-reported food waste has increased from 2022 to 2023 for those over 60 years and for those between 40 and 49 years, who are now the biggest food wasters.

Who is wasting what and why?

People who live alone tend to waste more liquid dairy products and more unused or partially used food compared to other household types. Families with children waste more pasta and meal leftovers. The main reasons for food waste include forgetting food in the refrigerator or elsewhere, food having a short shelf life or being of poor quality at purchase, and purchasing too much food. Overbuying is often linked to consumer packaging being too large, miscalculating the required amount, or forgetting what is already at home.

The amount of self-reported food waste per person is also related to individual income: food waste follows a U-shaped curve, where those with lower incomes waste slightly more than those with moderate incomes, until a turning point where food waste increases with income. The survey also shows that those who regularly harvest, hunt, grow, or fish their own food report wasting less than others, while those who frequently use take-out services report wasting more.

The way forward

Aspects such as food quality, packaging sizes, and measures or nudging to help consumers make responsible choices in critical food waste moments and maintain control and order are areas that the food industry and authorities should further work on to reduce food waste.

More specifically, this could include:

  • The food industry developing and utilizing new technology and innovations to improve product quality and shelf life.
  • The food industry, for certain product categories, working on more flexible consumer packaging sizes (primarily applicable to bread, fruits and vegetables, and liquid dairy products).
  • The food industry and other stakeholders developing new innovative digital and physical solutions (e.g., introducing 2D codes with expiration dates, smart refrigerators, storage solutions, apps, etc.) for better tracking, planning, reminders, and inspiration to consume food (push notifications).
  • The food industry and authorities influencing consumer behavior in critical moments of food waste (planning, purchasing, storage, preparation, and consumption) by nudging on packaging and at the point of purchase and developing solutions to help consumers waste less.
  • The government funding research and innovations to better understand how to reduce food waste and increase the rate of reduction toward 2030 and beyond.

How much can we save by not wasting food?

Updated figures indicate that an average family can save NOK 11,450 by not wasting food, and couples under 40 years can save NOK 8,065 (adjusted for price increases through August 2023).

A lot needs to happen quickly if we are to achieve our goals

According to the "Industry Agreement on Reducing Food Waste", Norway aims to halve food waste by 2030. Total food waste has been reduced by 9.5% up to 2020, with consumers among those making the smallest reductions.

Survey report for the consumer segment

News items
25.08.2023

Circular systems have been a crosscutting issue for the research at NORSUS for 30 years. Here we will give some examples of how we work with circular economy in our projects.

But first: what does the concept of the circular economy mean? The concept was used already in 1938 when Viktor Schauberger held that nature’s circular patterns could be used as a model for human organising of resource and waste streams. In 2002 Braungart and MacDonough published the book ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things’ which took the concept to a broader audience. In 2015 the European Commission launched its first circular economy action plan. Now the circular economy is regarded as an important societal mission, both at the regional and national level in Norway.

A simple model for the circular economy can be found in Konietzko et al. 2020, who talk about narrowing, slowing, regenerating and closing material loops; meaning using less resources, using them longer, making them clean and using them again.

NORSUS has worked on better use of resources in circular systems since the 1990ies, increasingly under the term ‘the circular economy’. We will here give a small selection from the large number of projects we have done related to the circular economy.

Reduced consumption and reuse

We have worked with new business models, indicators generally and sector-related indicators (such as circularity indicators for pig production), food waste mapping and reduction, consumer attitudes to ownership, increased reuse in the infrastructure sector and increased reuse of textiles.

Waste resources – close resource gaps

Here we have had a focus on improved waste collection and increased use of resources (such as food waste, plastics, EE-waste and masses) for instance for use as new products, feed ingredients or fertilisers.

Industrial symbiosis

NORSUS has been much engaged in industrial symbiosis, especially related to the industries at the Øra industrial area in Fredrikstad. We were part of the founding of the Norwegian Center for the Circular Economy (NCCE) in 20217. NCCE is a national cluster that originates from Øra, where the companies for decades have engaged in better use of energy from waste resources and closing material loops by applying systems thinking. Ole Jørgen Hanssen from NORSUS has been a key person in the Øra network in this work and is currently deputy chair of the cluster.

See also https://norsus.no/en/sirkulaer-okonomi-norsus-fokus-i-30-ar/.

News items
13.06.2023

The Ministry of Climate and Environment has established a working group led by Virke, with participation from various organizations, to develop extended producer responsibility for textiles. To support the mandate of the working group, NORSUS AS and NORION Consult have conducted a mapping of the quantity of textiles in the Norwegian market and their fate as waste. The report also draws on the synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which calls for increased ambition and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero.

The textile industry faces significant needs for change, as textiles are one of the sectors with the highest resource consumption and environmental impact. The majority of resource consumption and impact related to clothing, footwear, and household textiles in Europe occurs in other parts of the world where production takes place. This entails a responsibility to be mindful of our own consumption.

The European Commission has presented a strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, and Norway has the opportunity to follow up on this. The strategy includes several measures, including requirements for eco-design, limitation of microplastic emissions, information requirements and digital product passports, measures against greenwashing, and the introduction of extended producer responsibility. Extended producer responsibility will contribute to financing systems for the collection and treatment of textile waste. However, the main strategies do not address the challenge of accelerating overproduction and the increasing use of synthetic textiles. Further growth in the fashion industry is problematic if textiles are to be truly circular and have lower resource consumption.

The purpose of the knowledge status report is to provide information that can contribute to the development of an effective extended producer responsibility scheme for textiles in Norway. This includes an overview of textile quantities in the market, textile collection, treatment methods, environmental impact, textile types and products, as well as an assessment of available data sources. The goal is to ensure that the fees from importers cover the treatment costs for textile waste and promote a more environmentally friendly textile consumption in the country.


The mapping has been led by Synnøve Rubach from NORSUS, with Dina Bekkevold Lingås, Steffen Trzepacz, and Mathilde R. Johansen as project assistants from NORION Consult, and John Baxter and Ina Charlotte Berntsen from NORSUS.


Read the publication here (in Norwgian)


Staff
15.05.2023

Erlend works as researcher at NORSUS, and is currrently involved in the OSIRIS project led by University of Oslo (UiO). OSIRIS is a research centre analysing impacts of research. In this project, which he has been involved in at UiO since 2020, he focuses on how research influences society, and how research can be used.

Previously, he has carried out analyses of innovation in different industrial sectors. During these studies he has developed a strong interest and skills in how to identify and measure wider forms of innovation processes.

Next to working with OSIRIS project, he is wrapping up a PhD thesis in innovation studies. In addition, he also has experience in starting up businesses within retail (textiles) and food and beverage.

News items
29.03.2023

There is broad consensus about the importance of moving from linear to more circular food systems. But can we find good indicators to measure the effect of this? In a new article NORSUS researcher Hanne Møller and colleagues discuss circularity indicators using examples of environmental actions in pig production and testing various circularity indicators in comparison with LCA results.

The following measures were assessed: Treatment of livestock manure in biogas plants and use of digestate as fertiliser, biogas treatment of bread waste and use of digestate as fertiliser, precision fertilization, use of cover crops in feed production, and use of bread waste as pig feed. The functional unit was 1 kg carcass weight of pork, and treatment of 1.1 kg of bread waste. Based on this, the functionality and suitability of these circularity indicators were discussed.

Four of the circularity indicators were based on nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P): N recycling index, partial N balance, consumption of fossil P fertilizers and emissions of P to water. Although the indicators do not show the effect of emissions of N and P in the form of eutrophication, they provide a useful indication of the circularity of agricultural production.

The three other circularity indicators that were tested were production of renewable energy, soil organic carbon and land use ratio. The renewable energy production indicator is easy to understand and communicate and provides unique information. Soil organic carbon is closely linked to greenhouse gas emissions because carbon sequestration in the soil captures CO2 from the atmosphere. However, this indicator must be reported separately from greenhouse gas emissions because there is still no agreement on methodology and to show the difference between actual emissions and carbon storage that may not be permanent.

The land use ratio is an indicator that measures the efficiency of land use in livestock production. The indicator is based on the same data as land use but includes the amount of plant protein from the area for feed to produce 1 kg of digestible animal protein. The indicator thus provides an assessment of whether the area for fodder production would have yielded more protein if it had been used for the cultivation of food crops directly.

Circularity indicators provide valuable information about the circularity of an agricultural product system and can be used either separately or together with LCA impact categories. Which indicators should be chosen depends on the questions being asked, i.e. goals and scope, and it is therefore important to have a number of circular indicators to choose from in order to achieve a holistic assessment.

Sirkularitetsindikatorer

See the full article here.

Report
14.11.2022

Det treårige forskningsprosjektet Innovativ avfallslogistikk har hatt som målsetting å generere kunnskap som skal bidra til mer kostnadseffektive og miljøvennlige løsninger for innsamling av avfall fra norske kommuner. Denne rapporten gir en oppsummering av kunnskapen som er generert i prosjektet.

Prosjektet har dokumentert at norske kommuner organiserer innsamling av avfall på svært ulike måter. Dette gjelder både hvilke målsettinger som ligger til grunn for avfallshåndteringen, organisasjonsform, hvorvidt de samarbeider med andre kommuner eller ikke, om de kjøper inn tjenestene eller gjør det i egen regi og hva slags innsamlingssystemer de har valgt (poser, beholdere, biler og drivstoff, nedgravde løsninger og avfallssug og sorteringsanlegg).

For å bidra til kunnskapsbaserte beslutninger har arbeidet i prosjektet bestått av tre hovedtemaer: beregninger av kostnader og miljøpåvirkning fra avfallslogistikk, analyser av innkjøp av tjenester knyttet til avfallslogistikk og analyse av avfallslogistikkens transformative potensial. Resultater fra hver av delene oppsummeres i denne rapporten, og korte sammendrag gis nedenfor.

Beregninger av kostnader og miljøpåvirkning fra avfallslogistikk

Målsettingene knyttet til sirkulærøkonomi og økt og separat utsortering av en rekke avfallstyper har skapt et behov for å kunne simulere hvordan ulike løsninger påvirker kostnader og klimagassutslipp for en gitt kommune eller avfallsselskap. Prosjektet har dermed utviklet en modell som kan beregne kostnader og klimagassutslipp knyttet til avfallsinnsamling fra husholdninger.

I denne rapporten vises ulike eksempler på bruk av verktøyet som demonstrerer hva slags typer analyser som kan gjennomføres med verktøyet og som representerer aktuelle problemstillinger for norske kommuner og avfallsselskaper:

  • Fleksibel innsamling sammenliknet med faste henteider (tettbebygd område)
  • Sammenslåing av beholdere (tettbebygd område)
  • Elektrisk renovasjonsbil sammenliknet med renovasjonsbil på diesel (tettbebygd område)
  • Fra ett skift til to skift per bil (tettbebygd område)
  • Fra to ansatte til en ansatt per bil (tettbebygd område)
  • Bedre utnyttelse av tokammerbil (ruralt område)

Analysene viser at verktøyet er egnet for å finne ut hva som er de største kostnadsdriverne og hvor i verdikjeden de største klimagassutslippene oppstår, og hvilke innsatsfaktorer som har størst påvirkning. Resultatene fra casestudiene som er gjennomført viser at optimalisering av systemet med tanke på kostnader i mange tilfeller også vil gi reduserte klimagassutslipp. Andre ganger må det gjøres avveininger mellom økonomiske kostnader og klimatiltak, slik som for eksempel bruk av elektriske renovasjonsbiler, og mellom økonomiske kostnader og service ovenfor innbyggerne, som for eksempel distanse til beholder og avveininger mellom hente- og bringeordning. For å vurdere netto effekt av økt servicegrad, bør det også sees på hvordan sorteringsgraden faktisk påvirker innsamlingsgraden av de respektive avfallstyper, vurdert i et helhetlig perspektiv. I så fall bør økte klimagassutslipp fra innsamling av avfall med økt servicegrad vurderes opp mot potensielle reduserte klimagassutslipp som følge av at mer avfall sorteres ut til riktig behandling.

Innkjøpsanalyser

Innkjøpsanalysene som er gjennomført i prosjektet består av tre hoveddeler: dialog i anskaffelsesprosessen, analyser av gjennomføringen av anskaffelsesprosessen og anskaffelsesperioden og analyser av gjennomførte anskaffelser.

Anskaffelser og innovasjon: Den onde sirkelen

Forskningslitteraturen viser at økt grad av dialog har potensiale til å drive frem innovasjon gjennom felles verdiskaping, bedre samarbeid, økt transparens og økt effektivitet. Prosjektet har sett nærmere på hvorfor dialog er vanskelig i offentlige anskaffelser, og hvordan dette påvirker innovative anskaffelser. Intervjuer med relevante aktører avdekket et mønster der mange fortsetter å gjøre det man alltid har gjort, fordi man i begrenset grad gir og får innspill om noe nytt. Prosessen legger opp til liten grad av feedback, kommunikasjon og oppfølging i anskaffelsen, som igjen forhindrer at man bygger kompetanse. Gitt at målet er innovasjon og kompetanseutvikling, blir dette en ond sirkel. En viktig forklaring ligger i frykten for å gjøre feil med tanke på regelverket om offentlig anskaffelse.

Anskaffelsesprosessen: Den ufullstendige sirkelen

Prosjektet har sett på hvordan kommunene bruker anskaffelsesprosessen til å velge og følge opp leverandører, og lære av leverandørsamarbeid. Gjennom intervjuer ble det observert at det brukes betydelige ressurser på å utarbeide kravspesifikasjonen, og noe mindre på selve konkurransegjennomføringen, mens det brukes minst ressurser på kontraktsoppfølging. Dette kan betegnes som en lineær prosess som kan medføre at det i liten grad legges til rette for læring og forbedring. Det foreslås at det implementeres en prosess basert på Plan, Do, Check, Act, eller planlegge, utføre, kontrollere og korrigere for å fremme en lærende organisasjon. Sirkelen med de ulike oppfølgingsaktivitetene kan tilrettelegge for mer kontinuerlige forbedringer og kompetansebygging.

Styring og organisering: Den manglende sirkelen

En analyse av gjennomførte anskaffelser innenfor avfallslogistikk viser at måten kommunene har anskaffet innsamlingstjenestene for husholdningsavfall i stor grad har vært den samme i 30 år. Anskaffelsene er i hovedsak gjennomført etter åpen anbudskonkurranse og pris er vektet høyest blant tildelingskriteriene i kravspesifikasjonene, med noen få unntak. Dette fremmer en markedsøkonomi basert på konkurranse fremfor samarbeid, og viser liten grad av «innovative anskaffelser», noe som kan være en barriere for forbedringer og innovasjon.

Avfallslogistikkens transformative potensial

Avfallsbransjen står i likhet med resten av samfunnet overfor to megatrender som er forventet å skape radikal transformasjon: digitalisering og grønn omstilling. Forskningslitteraturen peker på noen sentrale dimensjoner og egenskaper for å oppnå transformasjoner: ‘retning’, ‘koordinering’, ‘etterspørsel’ og ‘refleksivitet’.

Når det kommer til retning og koordinering observeres et «fragmentert landskap», det vil si at kommuner har organisert avfallsinnsamlingen på svært ulike måter. Den norske kommunestrukturen med mange små kommuner og tradisjon for siloorganisering i kommunesektoren representerer dessuten et sårbart utgangspunkt for transformative endringer. Aktører med innovative ambisjoner opplever likevel at det er rom for endringer. Det er eksempler på aktører som får til mye, men manglende koordinering og mekanismer for oppskalering på tvers av kommuner synes å utgjøre sentrale barrierer for transformativ endring. Resultater fra prosjektet viser at det det ligger et potensiale i økt koordinering både internt i og mellom renovasjonsselskapene, samt eksternt i samspillet mellom offentlig og privat sektor

Når det gjelder etterspørsel og refleksivitet har prosjektet pekt på hvordan eierskap av, og investeringer i, fysisk infrastruktur kan føre til innlåsing i eksisterende forretningsmodeller og dermed hindre videre utvikling. Dette gjelder også økende grad av kildesortering, som krever en omfattende logistikkstruktur. Beregningene utført ved hjelp av verktøyet har vist at tilsynelatende små beslutninger kan ha stor påvirkning, og valg av biler og beholdere, både i egen regi og langvarige kontrakter, skaper langsiktige bindinger og strukturer som er krevende å endre. Det er derfor viktig å redusere risiko for overetablering av anlegg og utstyr. Dette kan gjøres ved hjelp av økt samarbeid, dialog og refleksivitet i form av mulighet til å justere kursen underveis, både med tanke på nye løsninger og eventuelt endringer i kontraktsperioden.

Konklusjon og videre arbeid

Prosjektet har utviklet modeller som kan bidra til økt kunnskap om avfallsinnsamling og hvordan denne kan forbedres, både når det gjelder kostnader og klimagassutslipp, og knyttet til hvordan gjennomføre og følge opp innkjøp av tjenester knyttet til avfallsinnsamling. Videre peker prosjektet på noen utfordringer knyttet til et «fragmentert landskap», det vil si den store variasjonen i hvordan kommunene organiserer og gjennomfører avfallsinnsamlingen, og som kan oppleves som en begrensning mot både felles og egen kompetanseutvikling og innovasjon. Disse barrierene kan reduseres ved å være bevisst på utfordringene og å sørge for samarbeid mellom kommuner og internt i kommunale etater, mellom kommuner og på tvers av privat og offentlig sektor. Disse innsiktene fra prosjektet vil kunne bidra til bedre beslutninger dersom de implementeres av kommuner og avfallsselskaper.

I et fremtidig arbeid er det ønskelig å koble sammen estimering av kostnader og klimagassutslipp med kunnskap om innkjøpsprosessen. Bruken av et slikt verktøy kan bidra til økt bevissthet og transparens om kostnader i innkjøpssitasjonen, og dermed redusere økonomisk risiko og oppnå en fornuftig kostnadsfordeling. Dette kan potensielt åpne opp muligheten for å øke fokus på miljø og kvalitet som innkjøpskriterier.

Videre er det viktig å understreke at innsamling av avfall ikke kan sees isolert fra hele avfallssystemet, og at økt utsortering og investering i gjenvinningsanlegg ikke bør være en barriere for å jobbe med avfallsminimering, økt gjenbruk og redusert forbruk. I det videre arbeidet vil det derfor være interessant å undersøke nærmere hvordan innsamlingssystemene kan bidra til økt utsortering, økt gjenbruk og redusert forbruk. I tillegg vil det være aktuelt å gjennomføre analyser som ser på sammenhenger mellom avfallssystemet og forbruksmønstre. Kommunene og avfallsselskapene kan med slik kunnskap i større grad bidra med en mer helhetlig tilnærming i overgang til en mer sirkulær økonomi. 

News items
18.10.2022

Anna Woodhouse, Hanne Møller, Erik Svanes og Kari-Anne Lyng participated virtually at the conference LCA Foods 2022 (13th International Conference of Life Cycle Assessment in the AgriFood sector) which was held October 12th-14th in Lima, Peru.

The conference was attended by a global audience of 437 people. More than 250 papers were presented in oral or by posters in a number of topics such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, crops, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, viticulture, nutrition and diets. Other themes included food waste, ecolabelling, databases, food production in the tropics, biological diversity, water use, marine plastic pollution, in addition to improvements in LCA methodology.



Anna Woodhouse presented her work on biodegradable agricultural plastics from the project DGRADE – Environmental impact of biodegradable and conventional plastic mulching films, Hanne Møller presented her work on food waste and by-products as animal feed which has been conducted in the project LIVESTOCK-sustainable  livestock productionKari-Anne Lyng also presented results from the LIVESTOCK-project with the poster: The potential impacts on climate change and farm scale economic sustainability from anaerobic digestion of manure.

The conference is global and is held every second year. The topic of the conference this year was «the role of emerging economies in global food security». This is a particularly important conference for NORSUS who work with sustainable production and consumption of food. There has been a lot of scientific progress in the field, as an example the trend is now to analyse whole diets and food systems rather than just single food products.  


News items
24.05.2022

For four years, Erik Svanes at NORSUS has conducted research on the protein rich crops peas, beans, and oilseeds. – We have found answers to many of the uncertainties regarding this subject, and the answers are positive, says Svanes.

It is well known that plant protein products in general have a lower environmental impact than products from animal protein such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and seafood. Nevertheless, NORSUS researcher Erik Svanes wanted a more detailed and thoroughly examination of the effect of increased plant protein production.

In the four-year project FoodProFuture, Svanes did research on the protein-rich crops peas, beans, and on the oil and protein rich plants rape and turnip rape (oilseeds). These crops are collectively known as High-Protein Plants (HPP). Svanes worked in collaboration with other research institutions and enterprises, and central questions in the research were: Which role can the HPP have in our food production system? How do natural conditions and the limited agricultural land in Norway affect production? What about consumer habits? And will a change in diet affect anything else than the climate?

The research work being divided into several disciplines, NORSUS was responsible for the sustainability part of the project.

– We aimed to determine how Norwegian grown plant protein affects the environment compared to the food we eat today. The protein in the current Norwegian diet comes mainly from meat, fish, eggs, wheat and dairy products and we were interested in analysing the environmental affect caused by this type of protein food. The same analysis was done on the HPP and products made from these crops developed in the project, explains Svanes.

Another important aspect of the project was to investigate how the processing affected the raw materials. Some of the plant food benefits can be lost if the raw materials are processed in an inefficient way.

Erteåker
A field of peas is a beautiful sight. Thanks to NORSUS research, we also know with certainty that growing peas and other high-protein plants (HPP) like beans and turnip rape will contribute to lower environmental impact than the average Norwegian food protein. PHOTO: Anne Marthe Lundby


Several positive results

According to the research results, food based on HPP grown in Norway gives 5-10 times lower environmental impact than the average Norwegian food protein. This applies not only to climate, but to all environmental categories. The HPP result in far lower emissions and far lower consumption of resources than most other protein food products in Norway.

– In addition, it provides several advantages in agriculture, such as larger crops and less plant disease pressure for the subsequent in the same area, Svanes points out.

Although Norway has a small area of arable land, the population is also low. This means that the amount of arable land per person is on par with the rest of Europe. The research results conclude that HPP can have a significant role in Norwegian food supply and meet 10-15 per cent of protein needs in the future. A transition to more plant protein will also have a beneficial effect on the populations health if it replaces for example meat. Other advantages will be greatly reduced environmental impact, reduced pressure on arable lands in Norway and other countries and make Norway more self-sufficient with food and animal feed.

The research also shows that eating habits, attitudes, and values are very different from person to person and that this has a great impact on their diet. As a result, the environmental impact of the food eaten is very different from person to person. Such knowledge can be used for targeted measures to get consumers to eat more plant-based diets.

– This allows us to help consumers follow the authorities' recommendations for a healthy diet and to eat more environmentally friendly, says Erik Svanes, researcher at NORSUS.


Facts

  • Research project FoodProFuture (Innovative and Sustainable Exploitation of Plant Proteins in Future Foods) took place in the period April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2021.
  • The project was supported through the BIONÆR program from Research Council of Norway. Total framework for the project was NOK 39 million, including support from the Norwegian Research Council and the companies' own efforts.
  • Nine national and five international research partners were responsible for the research: NORSUS, NMBU, NIBIO, NTNU, SIFO, NLR, AgriAnalyse, SP (Sweden), JTI (Sweden), LUKE (Finland), VTT (Finland), CSGA (Bulgaria) and SINTEF.
  • In addition, 14 corporation partners from the food industry joined the project: Orkla Foods, HOFF, Mills, Gartnerhallen, BAMA, AM Nutrition, Halogen, Hozokawa (Germany), Norsk Matraps SA, Borregaard, Skala AS.
  • The main objective of the project was to build a knowledge platform for the production and exploitation of Norwegian plant protein resources for healthy and tasty plant-based products with a high protein content
  • The project was divided into a number of disciplines. These dealt with agriculture, processing, health, quality, sustainability, and the consumer perspective, as well as communication.
  • NORSUS conducted the research in sustainability together with the Swedish research institute RISE and in collaboration with the industry and research partners.
  • The research at NORSUS was done by Erik Svanes, as part of his PhD. Svanes has written a report, four articles (two published) and several posts at scientific and other conferences.

Researcher and PhD at NORSUS, Erik Svanes has written a report, four articles (two published) and several posts at scientific and other conferences during the four years of research at FoodProFuture.

PHOTO: NORSUS

   

Prosjekt
28.02.2022

Siden det norske dyrkbare arealet er begrenset, er det et klart potensial i økt produksjon og verdiskaping fra veksthusnæringen. Det er et spesielt potensial for både økt norskandel på tomat og økt forbruk, gitt at produksjonen blir mer konkurransedyktig mot import og at smakene treffer den norske forbrukeren. En forutsetning for økt, norsk veksthusproduksjon er at dette foretas på en stadig mer bærekraftig måte. Ny kunnskap om teknologiske løsninger for redusert energibruk, bedre utnyttelse av naturlig og kunstig lys for økt produksjon, miljøfotavtrykket fra veksthusproduksjon samt gode verktøy for å ta de rette beslutningene, er viktig for at BAMA skal nå sine mål. Den overordnede ideen er å skape verdivekst i norsk veksthusproduksjon med mål om økt norskproduksjon og økt forbruk av viktige veksthuskulturer, på en stadig mer bærekraftig måte.Dette skal oppnås gjennom bedre kunnskap om bruk av lys og hvordan man aktivt kan øke produksjonen ved bruk av lys, samt ved å få vurdert og utviklet et verktøy for å sammenlikne miljøfotavtrykket til ulike produksjoner av veksthuskulturer i Norge sammenliknet med import. Prosjektet vil være i tråd med og som en klar oppfølging av Grøntutvalgets rapport.