Multiscale RECIPES for Sustainable Food Systems
Multiscale RECIPES for Sustainable Food Systems
Project Summary
RECIPES is a research network bringing together over 40 researchers and 15 institutions connected with organizations working across the food system to advance the science needed to make our wasteful food system sustainable, equitable, and resilient. Launched on October 1, 2021, the first five years of our work are supported through NSF award #2115405.
Forty percent of food produced in the US is never eaten. Outside of contributing to a complex waste stream that creates negative environmental and ecological impacts, this waste contains lost resources used in production, lost economic costs to businesses and households, and lost nutritional value. However, food that would otherwise be wasted can be repurposed as a resource by, for example, creating strategies to prevent losses, increasing food access by diverting high-quality surplus to food-insecure communities, recycling nutrients back into agricultural production, and converting food wastes into bioenergy that powers regional infrastructure. The U.S. aims to halve waste of food by 2030, an ambitious goal that will require research to generate new knowledge and partnerships with communities, businesses, and governments to put this knowledge into action. This Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network (SRS RN) will carry out convergent research to understand how and why food is wasted in regions across the U.S. and then to create solutions that can minimize and sustainably manage waste. Research is co-created with a coalition of stakeholders in policy, industry, municipalities, non-profit, and business sectors to translate implementable strategies, inform policy, and guide best practices across the food system. In parallel, a comprehensive educational platform built on “student science” will be used to establish an undergraduate food system journal, educate K-12 students, partner with minority and disability serving institutions to engage students in research experiences, train the next generation of sustainability workforce, and foster public engagement and understanding through public outreach and curriculum. If successful, the Multiscale RECIPES for Sustainable Food Systems SRS RN will aid in the development of new infrastructure and protect the Nation’s food security.
For more information on the project across all organizations & instiutions click here.
Publications
Funders
Funded by NSF Grant #2115405
Project Team
Kristine Beran
C. Anne Claus
Garrett Graddy-Lovelace
Matthew Hartings
Malini Ranganathan
Sauleh Siddiqui
