Cynthia Ní Mhurchú says technology and research solutions developed in our Technological Universities in rural Ireland, SETU and MTU, can solve our food waste problem whilst creating high end jobs. .
Food waste costs the average Irish household about €60 per month or €700 per year.
Member of the governing board of the South East Technological University, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú wants to use more EU research and development funding to ensure our Technological Universities such as MTU and SETU are at the centre of the solution to a growing food waste problem. Figures from Eurostat from 2021 show Ireland was one of the biggest food wasters in Europe, costing the average Irish household €700 per year.
“We can use the Horizon Europe fund, a 95 billion euro fund, to funnel research funds into the Munster Technological University, MTU, and the South East Technological University, SETU, to come up with solutions to the problem of food waste. The MTU is already playing a leading role in reducing food waste in Ireland and the EU through its involvement in the SISTERS project. This is a partnership of Universities across the EU that are working together on solutions to cut food waste by €3 billion euros annually in North West Europe. That is funded by Horizon Europe”
“I am calling for a doubling of funding for the SETU and MTU for ongoing research at our Universities in Ireland South which involves the application of Internet of Things and Big Data technologies to our food supply chains to reduce food waste, most of which happens in supply chains. Research is also focused on new technological innovations in packaging for processors and retailers; and awareness campaigns for retailers and consumers on food loss and waste. SETU has also focused research on how food waste can be turned into animal feed, fertiliser and other secondary industrial compounds”
In the EU we waste 89 million tonnes of food every year, accounting for 20% of the total food produced in the EU. The value of this food is estimated to be in the region of €143 billion euros, impacting each stage of the Food Value Chain. The EU has committed to halving food waste by 2030 and Ireland South MEP candidate Cynthia Ní Mhurchú wants rural Ireland to be at the centre of innovations around solving the food waste problem.
Research conducted in Ireland shows that leftovers, bread, fruit, and vegetables are the foods most likely to go to waste.
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