Food Sustainability

The Food Sustainability Observatory is an initiative of the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano. Launched in 2017, it is now in its sixth edition, as a result of years of extensive research on food waste and innovation for sustainability topics.

The Observatory aims to tangibly contribute to the sustainable transformation of the agrifood system through research, awareness development and dissemination activities centered on the role of innovation.

In particular, the goal of the Observatory is to perform in-depth analyses and to promote and bring forth innovation and sustainability best practices, focused in particular on the circular economy paradigm in the agrifood field and new, more sustainable and comprehensive supply chain models, in close collaboration with agrifood companies, trade associations, non-profit organizations, startups, and public sector bodies.

Food Sustainability Observatory Research

Within the scope of the Research, the goal of the Food Sustainability Observatory is to map and closely analyze innovative business model practices for a sustainable AgriFood system. In particular, the Observatory intends to further explore the following areas:

Circular Supply Chains

Analysis of innovative circular-oriented business practices and models and of the following areas in particular:

• Waste reduction through recovery and valorization of food surplus. Analysis of food surplus prevention and management practices along the supply chain enabled by technological, process, and organizational innovation.
• Food packaging in a circular economy. Identification and analysis of packaging solutions for the circular economy (e.g.: new materials from food waste). Specific focus is dedicated to the packaging recycling theme as a result of possible legislative changes. The solutions that enable the reuse of packaging, the propensity to adoption by companies in the supply chain, the identification of drivers and barriers, and the impact on processes are analyzed.

Measuring sustainability and circularity performances

Analysis of methodologies and instruments for measuring sustainability and circularity performances along the agrifood chain and of particularly relevant national and international projects.

Sustainability oriented AgriFood startups

Map startups that promote sustainability in the AgriFood sector at international level, identification and analysis of emerging innovation trends and innovative business models.

The research methods adopted include a systematic analysis of secondary sources; interviews and in-depth studies of interesting cases; surveys; workshops and observatories with partners and sponsors of the Observatory and other significant stakeholders; work performed by startups operating in the Artificial Intelligence sector (surveys and organized analyses of Italian and international startups); socially impacting experimental multidisciplinary projects involving public and private, profit and non-profit players.