FRED – Food Resource Efficiency Decision Support Hub

Food is at the core of sustaining human life but is a resource that is wasted at immense cost to society. Simultaneously, food insecurity is experienced by 9% of the Irish population. Currently, over a third of food is being wasted but the Irish Government, European Commission and United Nations targets all aim to half food waste by 2030. There is also a strong business case for reducing food loss and waste (FLW) to deliver a net positive return. 

Local and international research shows that numerous isolated solutions can address individual causes of FLW singularly at the specific step of the food supply chain where they are experienced, however, as reasons for FLW are interlinked and systemic, it is necessary to utilize a total value network approach. The FRED-Support hub aims to take this exact approach via a method known as Agent-Based Modelling to better understand the entire food supply chain in its many forms, including the real local impact of a solution, or combination of solutions. 

The project will involve:

– a food system stakeholder collaboration network,

– a co-created, open-access FLW intervention database,

– an interactive FLW impact evaluator,

– and a digital FLW prevention support hub.

Project Details:

Start date: 01 September 2023

End date: 28 February 2025

Funding Source: SFI Future Food Systems Challenge

Budget: €250,000

Project Partners

  • CircBio, MTU Kerry (Lead)
  • University College Dublin (Co-lead)
  • FoodCloud (Societal Champion)