Conference Circular@WUR: Living within planetary boundaries
A transition towards a circular bio-based and climate smart society is the answer to many of the societal challenges we are facing today. Circular systems in the green and in the blue domain will close water, nutrient and carbon cycles and from this, minimize resource losses and climate change effects, and hence assure that society can live within the planetary boundaries. Abstracts of keynotes, masterclasses, workshops, sessions and posters are available.
Transition pathway 4 Partnerships: Governance of a circular society through a small-wins strategy
Copyright (c) 2022 Conference Circular@WUR https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Transition pathway 2 Society: Circular Society - The role of people and places
Transition pathway 1 Biosphere: Towards a circular bio-based society
The Science and Policy agenda to transform food systems, at national, regional and global level
EU’s Green Deal and its road to circularity
4p6: Modelling choices and social interactions: adoption of mixed-mangrove aquaculture systems in Bangladesh
Farmers in South-West Bangladesh face excess precipitation in monsoon season, which cannot be discharged to the silted-up rivers. In low lying polders, this leads to waterlogging. Consequently, the water level in the polder remains too high for rice production during the monsoon and the following season, and therefore it can only be grown in dry season (Rabi), which leads to reduced yearly yield and income. This paper aims to analyse the decision-making process of buying a pump collectively to discharge water to the river more quickly. We model the effect of uncertainty regarding different climate change scenarios and test if an increasing probability of waterlogging would spur cooperation towards investment in a pump using an agent-based-model (ABM). Finally, we explore the role of social preferences in achieving cooperation towards investment in the pump.
4s1: Livestock based Circular Food Systems in Tropical Islands
Tropical islands are today on the frontlines of climate change and have to face many challenges to improve food security. Implementing circular food systems is necessary to become more self-sufficient and limit environmental impacts. Livestock have a crucial role to play in a circular food system by valorising co-products, waste and grassland and converting them into valuable food and manure.
Sessions 4s1: The Circular Food Systems network: exploring opportunities for ...
5s4b: The role of crop protection products in circular agriculture
When talking about circular agriculture the use of crop protection products may not be the first thing to come to mind. Still, its use is a prerequisite to achieve the objectives of circular agriculture. In this paper we provide three reasons why sound and proper use of CPPs is an essential part of circular agriculture.
Sessions 5s4b: Waste reduction and novel resources for sustainable ...
5s4b: The environmental impact of alternative protein sources - contribution to circular food systems
Novel protein sources are crucial for meeting the increasing global demand for sustainable proteins, and achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Environmental impacts of alternative protein sources are examined in relation to different stages of production and processing. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of insects, algae, single cell proteins, cultivated meat, mycoprotein, as well as vegetable protein sources, such as Rubisco protein extracted from sugar beet leaves, are compared and analyzed for six environmental impact categories: global warming potential, ozone layer depletion, energy demand, acidification potential, water footprint, and land use. Results of a few LCA studies (both from the authors and other literature) were used as basis for the data pool.
5s4b: Transition to an agroecological community oriented, circular food system in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is well known for its intensive, efficient and import/export-oriented agriculture and food system. Since climate change impact and ecological challenges became prominent issues, achieving circularity and nature inclusiveness have become important objectives. Industrial ecology is the dominant paradigm for the desired transition focusing on resource use efficiency and a prominent role for agribusiness. An emerging paradigm is agroecology combining a holistic worldview with social innovation of the food system. This paradigm focusses on place based, community oriented initiatives leading to alternative food networks.
5s4b: Controlled biologically-based indoor circular food systems
There is no area of human activity more basic to society than a sustainable agricultural, food and natural resource system. The 'major' question is, how will food be produced sustainably for the expected global population growth to 9.5-10 billion people by 2050? The agriculture and food system is a highly complex adaptive system, operating across the spectrum of economics, biophysics and sociopolitics. There is a need to move beyond contentious debates between many constituencies, rooted in ideological solutions, to acceptance of a broad array of different approaches. This poster focuses on the evolution from long and traditionally soil-based systems to biologically-based indoor systems, largely independent of soil with unique characteristics. Science and technology advancements have been critical to achievements of the existing land/soil-based systems and are equally critical in development of the emerging biologically-based indoor systems of controlled environment agriculture (greenhouses and vertical farms) and plant-based food alternatives, cell-cultured foods and 3D printed foods. Thus, there is no system more in need of, and more likely to benefit from a comprehensive application of convergence thinking across disciplines and stakeholders.
5s4a: Improving protein sovereignty in poultry: how novel & local feed-grade amino acids can facilitate the utilization of European plant-based protein
Poultry production is an important contributor to global warming potential (GWP), acidification (AC) and eutrophication (EU). This is mainly due to 1) the use of high dietary crude protein (CP) levels and 2) the important demand for imported protein feedstuffs like soybean meal (SBM). Indeed, 51% of SBM used in Europe is dedicated to poultry production and 70% is originating from South America (DG Agri – Oilseed and Protein Crops Production, 2019).
Sessions 5s4a Waste reduction and novel resources for sustainable ...
5s4b: Possible strategies to cope with enhanced contaminant levels in Saccharina Lattisima in food and feed applications
n the past years Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) has been performing several research projects on the presence of possible harmful substances in seaweed cultivated in the Dutch estuaries and coastal waters. Besides a general screening on some substances like natural toxins, pesticides, radioactivity, dioxins and PAH’s a more detailed survey has been performed on the heavy metals and iodine concentrations. Over time, results have shown that the contaminant levels of heavy metals (like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) and iodine not only vary in time, but also vary between the different cultivation locations and even within the same seaweed cultivation site. Following these results, literature research was performed to extend the knowledge on seaweed growth and thereby provide insight into the uptake of these undesirable substances and its relation to the nutrient levels in the environment.
5s4a: Modelling agri-food waste production and valorisation in a circular economy approach
The agri-food industry generates around 50 % of global waste, of which only 36 % is recycled, although the potential recovery could be as high as 60 %. These residual streams can be used as feedstock for the bio-based industry, provided that the composition, logistics and volume are carefully analysed.
5s4b: How to monitor the progress towards a Circular Food Economy: a Delphi study
Growing economic production and consumption can lead to scarcity and unequal access to resources, which goes along with many ustainability concerns. A circular economy (CE) aims to extend the value and utility of products, and uses waste as a secondary resource, leading to a decrease in environmental impacts. An assessment of the progress towards a CE is needed, but still an issue of ongoing debate. A regional or national CE assessment aims to provide indicators that measure and guide the transition towards a circular economy and give feedback to policy-makers and other decision-makers. Such an assessment should include all major systems that are part of the economy, such as housing, mobility, consumer goods, and food.
5s4a: Developing a platform for myco-validation of lignocellulosic waste streams.
Lignocellulose is a vast and renewable resource, representing a large number of agricultural and industrial side streams. Within lignocellulose, lignin is often a major access-limiting factor to other valuable components like sugars and proteins, and more recently lignin itself is gaining interest for various applications. Wood-rot fungi are known for their ability to modify and degrade lignocellulose in specific and environmental friendly manners. However, wood-rot fungi can’t currently compete economically with existing physical-chemical treatments, and improvements in their efficiency will be required. This means not only improvement of their lignocellulose modifying capacities, but also their growth in, and suitability to, industrial scale solid state fermentations.
5s4a: Bioconversion of Wood Residue into Protein-rich, Edible Fungal Mycelium
With a growing world population and increasing prosperity, conventional protein production based on livestock and crops appears to be climate-unfriendly, resourceintensive, and nitrogen inefficient. To feed the planet sustainably, we need alternative protein-rich food sources that are good for both environmental and human health. One of such sources is edible fungi, which have a nice protein profile (20~30% of dry matter, containing all the essential amino acids), fast growth rates, and low production costs. Fungi-based proteins are hence promised as â€the future of fake meatâ€.
5s3: Farming and Fashion – Integrating Agroecological Principles in Fiber Farming
In the last 20 years significant advances in the Danish food production system has managed to reduce the environmental impact by incorporating agroecological principles into regulations. Despite of the size of the Danish textile industry, and the fact that 8 % of global agricultural land is used for fiber production, the environmental impact of these farming systems has not been the topic of much scientific research. Despite the widely publicized environmental impacts of the textile industry, the industry continues to grow, in part due to the rise of fast fashion, which relies on outsourcing, cheap production and processing, frequent consumption and short-lived garment use.
5s4a: Microbiomesupport: Towards Coordinated Microbiome R&I Activities In The Food System To Support (EU And) International Bioeconomy Goals
Knowledge of the potential of microbiomes, throughout the food chains, is seen as a promising means to ensuring the sustainability of our food system. Although a number of relevant European programmes and initiatives are currently running or are being launched, they are largely fragmented, implying a stringent need for coordinated action. This need for joint action should also be regarded at the international level.
5s3: The potential of mechanical recycling for post-consumer textile
Currently, the amount of post-consumer textile waste is growing. Unfortunately, the European recycling infrastructure is lacking, preventing efficient recycling operations. It is still difficult to set up production lines of high-quality products with shredded textile waste fibres, yet the demand for these products is rising. The goal of this study was to find out how the mechanical recycling process for mixed post-consumer textile waste garments could be improved and integrated into circular supply chains. A literature study, semi-structured interviews and a multi-criteria analysis on Manufacture Readiness Levels were conducted to investigate the several challenges and production opportunities for recycled textile waste fibres from a technical, logistical and economic point of view. Thereafter, a roadmap for future mechanical recycling was established.
5s4a: Protein transition pathways and regional innovation ecosystems: characteristics, challenges and promising directions
The rise of novel sources of proteins for human and animal consumption is a major development in Europe, the United States and Canada and is also emerging in other parts of the world. These novel sources are derived from plants, fungi, algae, insects or cellular tissues. Most alternative protein pathways contain particular technology choices, development direction, and related expectations and promissory narratives about how it may benefit sustainable development, health and the ethics of human-animal interaction. This protein transition potentially has profound impacts on land use, environmental pressures and food consumption. So far, the protein transition has progressed rapidly in both food characteristics (taste and texture) and consumption, although meat consumption remains at high levels.
5s3: Measuring and monitoring the circular textile transitions: limitations and needs from a policy perspective
The paper will present an overview and review of needs for data and monitoring from a policy perspective. Taking as a context the European policy making, and the consequent policy making at national, regional and local level, the paper will present data presented, needs for data expressed but also needs that are implicitly needed for developing and monitoring policies. The paper will go in depth by examining the policy process and underlying studies done on textile/fashion at Dutch National level and at regional level. The key aspects are the understanding of the footprint of textile production, the understanding of the value chain, the understanding of consumerbehaviour and the understanding of discarded textile streams. The paper takes an academic perspective but enriched by the personal policy experience of the author. The outcome is a research agenda for policy makers.
5s3: Credible quality information as a bottleneck issue in extending clothing lifetimes
Extending the active use time of clothes and consequently reducing the need for new production would alleviate the environmental impact of the clothing industry. Short active lifespan of clothes depends partly on consumers’ decisions, and partly on the durability and technical quality of the clothes. Generally, consumers are not able to tell apart durable, good quality clothes and clothes that withstand only a short period of use. Consumers’ lack of quality knowledge is a bottleneck issue that drives clothing consumption towards cheap prices at the expense of quality and durability, as price is clearly visible and understandable to consumers while quality is not. Even those consumers who would prefer to purchase durable clothes don’t have the necessary knowledge to do so, and according to a survey conducted by me (n=667), many consumers would prefer to have impartial quality information to aid in purchase decisions. Credibly signalling clothing quality would benefit consumers, manufacturers of durable clothes, and the environment.
5s3: Full-circle research for better circularity
In March 2021 a report was commissioned by the Danish Government to be developed by all researchers working with sustainability and textiles in Denmark and spanning the entire value chain of textile products. The roadmap to 2030 and 2050, which was submitted in May 2021, includes a number of milestones; including the out-phasing of fossil fashion, dominance of bio-based fibers, and reduction by 60% of production of new textile products, most of which are produced locally. It also includes the introduction of ‘Textile citizenships’ through education and public campaigns. By 2050 it is the ambition that 80-90% of revenue streams derive from the secondary market, and design strategies have been employed as an active engine for value generation of diverse textile waste fractions.
5s3: Worldwide wardrobes, inside consumers’ clothing systems
The current clothing system is a complex and linear system, which is wasteful and polluting (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Decreasing the impact of the clothing industry on the environment requires efforts in all phases of the garment life cycle, such as production, selling and use phases, and requires behavioral change by all associated stakeholders in the value chain including the consumer. Extending the use of garments is often seen as an important strategy of decreasing the impact of the fashion industry, however currently there is a lack of data and understanding of consumers’ wardrobes. Consumers are increasingly willing to buy second-hand clothes and it is expected that the amount of second-hand clothes will make up one third of the wardrobes in 2033 (ThredUp, 2019). Nevertheless, in order to turn these predictions into real behavioural change, it is essential to get more insight in actual wardrobe contents and behaviour.
4s2b: How Knowledge on Crop Resilience to Abiotic Stress can be Capitalised in Agriculture
Trends of increasing population, negative impact of climate change and declining arable crop area all contribute to the current global food insecurity. Abiotic stresses of salinity and drought account for huge crop losses annually further exacerbating yield gap, thereby increasing pressure on food insecurity. Although fundamental research on abiotic stresses have been extensive to an extent, successful translation into useable strategies at the farm level has been somewhat lacking. This opinion paper bridges the gap by highlighting practical application salinity and drought stress mitigation strategies and important steps to create smooth transition on the farm. An analysis of previous projects that have focused on ameliorating salinity and drought gives an overview of current strategies adopted at the farm level.
Sessions 4s2b: Food system transitions in deltas under pressure
4s2b: Understanding tradeoffs in circular grain production systems
Grain production systems in the United States need to be transformed into more circular and sustainable systems to address the simultaneous challenges of resource depletion, environmental degradation, and increasing demand for food under the threat of climate change. Grain production in the U.S. is geographically dispersed and distant from large centers of national and global consumption (e.g., animal feeding operations, food processors, cities) with limited recycling of nutrients and energy, and a major source of non-point source pollution of air and water. In this talk I show that transformation of U.S. grain production systems into circular systems can be achieved using currently feasible digital, mechanical, and genetic technologies that close loops of nutrient and energy flows within the farm, through the optimization of land use choices and crop management. But widespread adoption of these circular systems by the large-scale commercial farms that produce most of the grain crops in the U.S. will depend critically on their profitability relative to the current linear system.
4s2b: Insect problems in a changing world: reduce pesticide use by breeding for insect resistant plants under salinity stress
Climate change has profound effects on crop production, for example through more salt intrusion in deltas. In addition, pest and disease pressure will change. Both salinity and insect problems can cause large yield losses in plants. Currently, the main way to prevent losses caused by insects is through frequent application of pesticides. However, pesticide use is detrimental for humans and the environment, and alternatives are needed. To reduce pesticide use and to increase yield stability even under saline conditions, growers would benefit from plant varieties that are resistant against pests and tolerant to salinity stress. Importantly, abiotic and biotic stresses interact, and should not only be considered as independent problems. In this study, our objective was to identify pepper (Capsicum sp.) varieties that are salt-tolerant, and/or resistant to the silver leaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, one of the most damaging insects on pepper. In addition, we aimed to study the interaction of salinity stress and insect resistance.
4s2b: Roles of rice landraces in sustainable food production in the coastal Mekong delta of Vietnam
Rice production has played an essential role in farmer’s livelihoods in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta and food security in Vietnam. In the past three decades, intensive rice production with high-yielding rice varieties significantly contributed to national food security and the agricultural economy. High-yielding rice varieties, characterised by short-growth duration and high reliance on high input levels of agro-chemicals, have gradually replaced rice landraces with long-growth duration, low external input requirements and relatively low yields. A raised question is whether such the rice landraces will still play their roles under pressures from negative impacts of climate change and reduced flows of the Mekong, and the promotion of agricultural transformation in the Mekong Delta.