From Food Waste to School Meals : A System Analysis of Odd Carrots

Sammanfattning

One-third of all food produced for human consumption becomes food waste. Despite increasing awareness of the sustainability challenges posed by food waste, large amounts of edible produce continue to be discarded early in the food value chain due to aesthetic or normative standards. This study explores how odd carrots, that are discarded despite being suitable for human consumption, could potentially be introduced into the public-school meal. A qualitative case study was conducted to map the school meal system and identify barriers and enablers related to the introduction. Key actors in the school meal system interviewed include producers, processors, suppliers, wholesalers, and representatives of Norrköping Municipality. The findings suggest that barriers and enablers are closely interconnected, highlighting the importance of adopting a systems perspective. Norms regarding food appearance together with economic conditions were found to influence how side streams are valued and managed within the system, while interactions and knowledge sharing between actors were identified as important for finding solutions that function within the specific conditions of the system. Furthermore, public food procurement was identified as an important instrument for influencing actors throughout the system, and the separation of certain products from large-scale procurement was presented as a potential pathway forward. The separation of products could facilitate closer interaction and more dynamic collaboration between actors within the system, which may also strengthen preparedness and self-sufficiency. The findings further suggest that perceived barriers and enablers depend on actors’ positions within the system, and that change may need to be initiated from within the system itself.