Recovery of food surpluses: a project between the Region of Tuscany and the University of Pisa kicks off

According to the latest estimates, food surpluses in the Italian agri-food chain are reaching worrying levels. In 2023, 8.7 million tonnes of food were wasted, which is equivalent to 146 kg per inhabitant, with serious environmental and economic consequences. The Region of Tuscany has responded to this emergency, , by signing an agreement in July 2024 with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Agri-environmental Sciences of the University of Pisa , through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, to analyse the problem of food waste in the early stages of the production chain in Tuscany and to identify possible solutions to improve the prevention of waste and the recovery of food that is still edible.

The study is part of the PhD project "Initiatives to reduce food waste and losses in agri-food companies in the Region of Tuscany and to recover surplus food", carried out by PhD student Giulia Gallo, under the supervision of Professor Alessio Cavicchi and Professor Francesca Galli. The project falls within the framework of the traineeship foreseen by the PNRR Public Administration (PA) Ministerial Funding.

The study aims to map out the main Tuscan agri-food companies and charities, in order to identify the critical points of surplus management and possible solutions to improve the prevention and redistribution of food surpluses. The research will make it possible to formulate recommendations for more effective policies and regulations, aimed at raising awareness of both companies in the sector and citizens.

The agreement between the Region of Tuscany and the University of Pisa responds to the need to find effective strategies to reduce waste at a time of increasing need. According to data from Caritas Toscana, more than 13% of the Tuscan population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with an increasing number of families relying on charitable services in 2022. While in 2023 alone, Caritas associations in the region assisted more than 28,000 people, which is an increase of 20% compared to 2019. In particular, the proportion of families with a low level of ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator) is higher in the socio-health areas of the north of the Region (Apuane) and in some of the provincial capitals (such as Florence, Pisa, Livorno). The Banco Alimentare della Toscana, which collects surplus food for people in need, has also seen an increase in requests for assistance, in 2022, around 132,000 people received food aid through 554 charities for the needy.

Giulia Gallo.

"We have long been committed to the fight against food waste," said Stefania Saccardi, Vice-President and Agrifood Councillor, "the economic crisis has impoverished many families, leaving them in a state of hardship even when it comes to buying food. in order to combat this phenomenon, the Region of Tuscany, together with Caritas and the Tuscan Food Bank Association, has already been implementing a programme of interventions since 2015. Knowledge of food surpluses, their causes and their relative management is therefore particularly important in light of existing regulations on waste prevention and control at European, national and regional level, in order to plan and take initiatives to counteract the increase in poverty and inequalities. The results of this research may give us the opportunity to formulate recommendations for policies and regulations to be implemented, specifically, in our region".

Another issue that should not be overlooked is the environmental one. Surplus and wasted food have a strong impact, which for Italy is about 0.4 kg of CO2 per person, a value higher than the European average, which is about 0.36 kg of CO2 per person. There are also consequences on the economy. In fact, in Italy, the economic loss due to food waste reaches 22.8 billion euros, of which 17.92 billion for domestic consumption, 2.40 billion for the agricultural process, 960 million for the food industry and 970 million for food distribution. This is occurring within a context of increasing poverty in Italy in recent years. In fact, in Italy households living in extreme poverty have increased from 7.7% in 2021 to 8.3% in 2022 (Tuscany Region, 2023).

The final stage of the project will be to disseminate the results obtained in order to make producers and processors fully aware of the situation and to raise the awareness of citizens. The results of this research will be able to contribute to the formulation of recommendations for policies and regulations to be implemented, particularly in the Region of Tuscany.