On November 10th, the Transfoodmation ’23 event was held in La Rioja, organized by the Food+i cluster. Sofia Garín, Project Manager for Eco-design and Circular Business at inèdit, presented the Sustainability Guide for the Agri-Food Sector of the Ebro Valley, promoted by the Cluster and developed by inèdit, now available online. The guide assesses the current situation for the agri-food sector regarding circular economy and decarbonization, identifies key drivers of change that influence companies, compiles essential strategies, and illustrates them with success stories. Additionally, it gathers tools and recommendations to encourage companies to define and implement specific actions throughout the value chain. According to the Cluster, it is a “key tool for companies committed to a sustainable future.”
The guide’s content is divided into several sections:

• – Glossary
• – Current context
• – Regulations applied to the sector
• – Concept and methodological framework of decarbonization
• – Concept and methodological framework of circular economy
• – Trends and best practices
• – Tools and recommendations

The agri-food sector, with great potential for circularity

The agri-food sector is responsible for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions; food production also contributes to approximately 32% of soil acidification and is responsible for 78% of water eutrophication, mainly due to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers. However, not only production but also distribution, packaging, and final consumption have a significant impact on the sustainability of the food chain. Hence, measures are needed to transform the system at each stage of the cycle.

According to Garín, “the sector has high potential for a transition to a circular economy, and in this transition, it will be necessary for different stakeholders in the value chain to collaborate in proposing environmentally responsible solutions.” In general terms, as outlined in the guide, the agri-food sector demonstrates a favorable attitude towards adopting a sustainable and circular vision, driven by forces of change such as the incorporation of circular metrics, increased digitization and connectivity between customers and companies, new consumer demands, and regulations and legislation, among others.