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Agri-food in Flanders is a powerful sector with a circular future. In 2016, the Flemish agri-business complex (ABC) had 34,325 companies employing nearly 152,000 people - about 5.5% of all working people in Flanders.
With a total turnover of €61.7 billion (€39.7 billion of which comes from the food industry) and an added value of €8.3 billion, the sector is in rude health.
Circular by nature
The food chain has circularity in its DNA. For example, by-products from food products are processed into animal feed. Animals that are given this feed then produce manure that keeps the land fertile. The land again grows crops with high yields, from which food is once again produced.
Looking at the overall picture
Looking at the overall picture
But the circle is not yet complete. Sectors have been using more and more external inputs and they still emit too many harmful emissions and waste.
The focus is now primarily on greening internal processes and reducing waste. Good news, but not enough to reduce our materials footprint.
To really move forward, we need to look more broadly. Not just to what actors can do individually, but to the whole picture. That way, we turn individual challenges into an opportunity for the entire food chain.
That is exactly what the strategic agenda aims to do: take the circular approach to the next level. Making smarter use of what is available, that is where the future of our food chain lies.
Policy Framework
Want to go into more depth into the policy surrounding this topic? Then you will probably find this useful:
Three pillars of the strategic agenda 'food chain'
The strategic agenda 'food chain' aims to reduce the material footprint and environmental pressure of the agri-food chain, while retaining the economic heft. To this end, we focus on 3 pillars:
Optimal use of bio materials
Increasing the circularity of primary production systems and processing and distribution systems.
Develop new circular production systems and cultures and increase their capacity.
Optimal use of food
Striving to increase support for diets with a low-resource impact, in line with the food triangle.
Focus on actions targeted at or implemented by hospitality, catering, retail and consumers.
Optimal use of residual streams
Keep track of available residual streams and valorise according to the cascade of value retention.
Close cycles at the geographic level (as small as possible, but as large as necessary).
Improve technologies and machinery for harvesting and processing or develop new ones.
Reuse residual streams that are unsuitable for food as efficiently as possible for livestock production.
Make higher-value applications possible, including with adapted logistics systems.
Read more about it in the start charter of the strategic agenda 'food chain'.
The Flemish Food Strategy
Sets the broad direction toward a more resilient and sustainable food system. A circular food chain is a key strategic objective in this regard.
The Flemish protein strategy
Towards a sustainable, diverse and forward-looking protein strategy. By making our protein production and consumption more sustainable, we can reduce the materials footprint of our food.
Action plan for food loss and biomass waste streams circular 2021-2025
Concrete actions to prevent food loss and make high-quality use of residual streams throughout the chain.