Upcycled ingredients: Risks and opportunities of turning trash into treasure

By Flora Southey

- Last updated on GMT

Please join FoodNavigator at our free-to-attend digital event Climate Smart Food, 24-26 September. GettyImages/HowLettery
Please join FoodNavigator at our free-to-attend digital event Climate Smart Food, 24-26 September. GettyImages/HowLettery
Upcycling curbs food waste and supports the circular economy. But it also comes with a unique set of challenges, which we’ll explore at Climate Smart Food 2024.

What’s not to like about upcycling? Take a side stream, repurpose it, and boom! You’ve got a new ingredient. What’s more, it curbs food waste, adds value, and supports the circular economy.  

While the opportunities are endless, risks remain very real. How can innovators ensure a constant supply of raw materials? What challenges exist in bringing new products to market? And importantly, do consumers want – and understand – upcycled food? 

Join us at Climate Smart Food 2024​ to find out! We’re inviting experts to our digital stage to discuss all things upcycling from would-be waste.

Speakers include: 

  • Jussi Loponen​, VP, Group Head R&D, Fazer Lab​, which is making confectionery with upcycled ingredients​ 
  • Toine Timmermans​, program manager, sustainable food chains, Wageningen University & Research​ 
  • A representative from PhenOlives,​ a start-up upcycling olive waste into flour​ 
  • And a representative from Ingredion​, a company well versed in supplying upcycled ingredients to industry. 

For a full list of speakers, click here.​ 

What else is on the programme​? 

24 September: Decarbonising supply chains at the source 

Food majors are under increasing pressure to stamp out irresponsible practices from ingredient supply chains. But voluntary measures have only got the sector so far, and policymakers are stepping in. While Europe races to comply with incoming regulations, rising global temperatures are plaguing production of key commodities cocoa, coffee and sugar. Can decarbonisation practices be embedded at the source before it’s too late? 

Day 1 of Climate Smart Food will cover: 

  • Preparing for EUDR: Is Europe ready for incoming deforestation regulation? 
  • Futureproofing cocoa, coffee and sugar against climate change 
  • Sowing sustainability into food supply chains: Challenges and opportunities  

25 September: Eco-friendly production from farm to fork 

Ensuring sustainable nutrition from farm to fork requires significant change. In a bid to champion resource efficiency, the agricultural sector is rethinking farming practices for the 21st century. And it’s not just agtech promising to deliver; food waste and upcycling are also on food makers’ radar, with valorisation the aim of the game. But improving sustainability can come with a hefty price tag and someone’s got to foot the bill. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, can consumers afford to eat ‘green’? 

  • Upcycling ingredients: Risks and opportunities of turning trash into treasure 
  • Food waste: Tips and tricks for solving a trillion-dollar problem 
  • Agtech solutions promising to boost resilience of food production – hosted by AgTechNavigator.com 

26 September: New tech and novel ingredients for a sustainable future 

Technological innovations, including those tackling packaging waste, promise to move the needle on carbon emissions. So too do novel ingredients, which have the power to significantly improve the sustainability of everyday products. But not all innovations are on the market, and tight investor budgets could see trailblazers struggle to reach the regulatory stage. Which new ingredients and technologies will go the distance to truly transform what and how we eat?  

Day 3 of Climate Smart Food will cover: 

  • Packaging unwrapped: Innovative solutions for the circular economy 
  • The ‘hybrid’ potential in meat and dairy 
  • Building a market for new ingredients: From stem cells to microbes and ‘food from air’ 

Is 24-26 September blocked out in your diary? The event is free to attend and registration is now open​. We look forward to welcoming you to our digital stage! 

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