FoodCloud, a leading Irish food redistribution organization, and a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from Munster Technological University Kerry and University College Dublin are working together to support efficiency and prevent food loss and waste in Irish food supply chains, through the Science Foundation Ireland-funded “FRED: Food Resource Efficiency Decision support” project. The initial phase of the FRED project has involved interviews with food producers, processors, retailers, and hospitality and food service businesses, as well as public bodies and non-governmental organisations with a consumer focus (including those working to reduce food poverty), policy-makers, and food systems researchers, to better understand the challenges and opportunities for food loss and waste prevention in different sectors of the Irish food system.  

The project is now launching a series of food systems stakeholder workshops that aim to bring stakeholders together to map out the priorities for sustainable and efficient food supply in their sector and collaboratively develop solutions with the research team. The first workshop will take place on March 4^th for fruit and vegetable, fishing and food service businesses, in Munster Technological University Kerry campus (Tralee). If you work in fruit and vegetable production, fishing or hospitality/food service please feel welcome to join, network with other producers and food businesses and share your challenges and ideas with peers. Register at https://forms.office.com/e/1ws0KKU48a.  

Subsequent workshops will focus on livestock producers (7^th May, Tralee, registration: https://forms.office.com/e/uVnK87CRjY), food processors and retailers (tba).

For more information about the food systems stakeholder workshops or the FRED project, contact Principal Investigator Dr. Jennifer Attard (Jennifer.attard@mtu.ie), sign up to our mailing list on our webpage or follow us on LinkedIn.