Bread Rescuers: Redusert brødsvinn gjennom innovative forretnings- og forbrukerstrategier

In Norway 300.000 bread loaves are discarded daily, accounting for 18% of all food waste at consumer level and 42% at retail level. Bread waste counteracts national and international sustainability goals, as well as national goals on increased self-sufficiency. As bread has a very high market penetration (96% of consumers) it is an impactful product for getting producers, retailers and consumers' attention to food waste and for implementing sustainable waste prevention and reduction strategies. The overall objective of Bread Rescuers is to develop science-based knowledge and innovative strategies to provide consumers and actors in the food system with solutions to reduce Norway’s bread waste by 50 percent. In tight collaboration between cross-sector value chain actors and multidisciplinary scientists, the project will develop research and innovation to evolve the bread system from producer to consumer. Based on three pillars Rethink, Reduce and Repurpose, Bread Rescuers will: • Challenge systemic characteristics that may trigger bread waste, • Co-create bread waste reduction practices and interventions involving consumers, • Investigate possibilities to expand frozen bread as a product alternative in the retail sector, • Develop industry solutions for repurposing surplus bread into new bakery products, • Investigate the economic and environmental impact of innovative solutions. Our research approach includes looking for solutions and inspiration across the world; creating strategies with stakeholders across the bread system; conducting consumer experiments and interventions online, in households and in retail environments; and conducting baking experiments in lab and pilot scale settings, all within an RRI perspective. The final outputs of the project will be (i) New scientific knowledge and methodological approaches transferable to other food systems, (ii) Household, industry and policy recommendations promoting a circular economy in the bread value chain.

In Norway 300.000 bread loaves are discarded daily, accounting for 18% of all food waste at consumer level and 42% at retail level. Bread waste counteracts national and international sustainability goals, as well as national goals on increased self-sufficiency. As bread has a very high market penetration (96% of consumers) it is an impactful product for getting producers, retailers and consumers' attention to food waste and for implementing sustainable waste prevention and reduction strategies. The overall objective of Bread Rescuers is to develop science-based knowledge and innovative strategies to provide consumers and actors in the food system with solutions to reduce Norway’s bread waste by 50 percent. In tight collaboration between cross-sector value chain actors and multidisciplinary scientists, the project will develop research and innovation to evolve the bread system from producer to consumer. Based on three pillars Rethink, Reduce and Repurpose, Bread Rescuers will: • Challenge systemic characteristics that may trigger bread waste, • Co-create bread waste reduction practices and interventions involving consumers, • Investigate possibilities to expand frozen bread as a product alternative in the retail sector, • Develop industry solutions for repurposing surplus bread into new bakery products, • Investigate the economic and environmental impact of innovative solutions. Our research approach includes looking for solutions and inspiration across the world; creating strategies with stakeholders across the bread system; conducting consumer experiments and interventions online, in households and in retail environments; and conducting baking experiments in lab and pilot scale settings, all within an RRI perspective. The final outputs of the project will be (i) New scientific knowledge and methodological approaches transferable to other food systems, (ii) Household, industry and policy recommendations promoting a circular economy in the bread value chain.