Building symbiotic and circular food systems for a resilient future food system

Food systems today face increasing pressure from climate change, resource scarcity and growing demands for food security. PLENTY is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research centre that brings together academic institutions, public organisations and private companies to support the transition towards a symbiotic and circular food system.

Large amounts of resources are lost across the food value chain, from primary production to consumption and waste management. At the same time, urbanisation and changing consumption patterns require new ways of organising food provisioning that are resilient, resource‑efficient and socially inclusive.

PLENTY aims to develop knowledge, methods and practical solutions that enable a more symbiotic and circular food provisioning system. The centre addresses the food system as a whole, with particular emphasis on interactions between side streams (by-products), nutrients, water, energy and food production.

The research integrates technological, systemic, environmental, economic and societal perspectives to identify how residual flows from one part of the food system can become valuable inputs in another. By fostering close collaboration between researchers, industry actors, public authorities and civil society, PLENTY seeks to accelerate innovation and implementation of circular solutions across the food value chain.

Read more about PLENTY on the project's website External link, opens in new window.