What goes around,needs to come around!

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What goes around, needs to come around!

Circular economy in the food systems

For SecureFood, Singapore

The modest earthworms are more important to the world economy than one could imagine. Residing in sludges, these tiny members treat organic waste and turn them into premium fertilizers. The cascading effects of earthworm’s effort are beyond good soil and organic produce. They are, what the world terms, the frontline army for circular economies.

What is circular economy?

The theory looks beyond the industrial cliché of ‘take-make-waste’ and aims to redefine growth focusing on wider social and environmental benefits.

Three overarching tenets include-

· Design out waste and pollution

· Keep products and materials in use

· Regenerate natural systems

Circular economy adapts the theories and principles from industrial ecology.

The aim of this theory is to close the loop of substances while reducing both resource consumption and discharges into the environment.

This practice is restorative by design and mimics nature in dynamically improving and optimizing the food systems.

Several natural principles such as production out of waste, resilience through diversity, the use of renewable energy sources, systems thinking are at the core of this theory. [1]

What is circular economy in the food system?

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization [2], the inefficiencies of the food economy cost, globally, as much as a trillion dollars a year. When social and environmental impacts are included, the cost rises to over two trillion dollars.

A circular economy for food simulates natural systems of restoration so that waste is instead feedstock for another cycle.

This system implies reducing the amount of food waste generated, reuse of food, utilization of by-products and food waste, and nutrient recycling.

These measures need to be carefully applied both at the producer and consumer levels and ultimately in the food waste and surplus management.

Application of this theory could radically change the way we envision the future of food. Some tangible benefits include regenerating the natural systems, combating climate change and Improved access to nutritious food, while supporting local communities. That is why earthworms are important. They revitalize the soil for agriculture naturally.

The food systems of the future need a paradigm shift.

The existing linear system of food production and consumption is unsustainable, causing significant resource depletion and deplorable environmental impacts.

In the current scenario, equivalent of six garbage trucks of food are wasted globally every second, as reported by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

While valuable natural resources are exhaustively used to produce and distribute food products, seldom do we take into consideration the need to regenerate the residues created along the supply chain.

Nevertheless, certain global initiatives are operating in a way that rejuvenates the natural system. For instance, Ostara Nutrient recovery technology, an initiative from Vancouver has developed a new ‘pearl technology’ that helps recover phosphorus and nitrogen from wastewater.

The biproducts are transformed into high value fertilisers which in turn help reduce 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Tembusu Asia consulting, leading master planning and sustainability consultants from Singapore have devised a strategic waste resilient plan that aligns with circular economy, technology innovations, and stakeholder engagement.

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Ecocity Zero waste Master Plan focuses on converting food waste into compost to be used within the residential and high-tech industrial zone. Establishing such initiatives requires large gestation periods and monetary investments.

However, without these, our food systems would be transgressing towards an unsustainable future.

It is time we learn from those modest earthworms and start closing the loop for our nature.

References:

1. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Towards the Circular Economy. Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition. http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Ellen-MacArthur-Foundation-Towards-the-Circular-Economy-vol.1.pdf

2. Gustavsson, J.; Cederberg, C.; Sonesson, U.; van Otterdijk, R.; Meybeck, A. Global Food Losses and Food Waste—Extent, Causes and Prevention; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2011.

3. Jurgilevich, A.; Birge, T.; Kentala-Lehtonen, J.; Korhonen-Kurki, K.; Pietikäinen, J.; Saikku, L.; Schösler, H. Transition towards Circular Economy in the Food System. Sustainability 2016, 8, 69