Contribution to food loss and waste management under a life cycle nexus thinking approach

• Autores: Daniel Hoehn Capracci
• Directores de la Tesis: Rubén Aldaco García (dir. tes.), María Margallo Blanco (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad de Cantabria ( España ) en 2021
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Contribución a la gestión de las pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos bajo un enfoque de pensamiento Nexus del ciclo de vida
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Ángel Irabien Gulías (presid.), Cristina Gazulla Santos (secret.), Ana Cláudia Dias (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Química, de la Energía y de Procesos por la Universidad de Cantabria
• Materias:
  • Ciencias tecnológicas
    • Ingeniería y tecnología del medio ambiente
      • Eliminación de residuos
    • Tecnología de los alimentos
      • Propiedades de los alimentos
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en:  TESEO  UCrea 
• Resumen

  • The current system of exploitation of natural resources to satisfy the demand for food is among the main causes of environmental degradation, also threatening the food security and sovereignty of the world population. One of humanity's biggest challenges over the next decades will continue to be meeting the global nutritional demand, reducing pressure on food resources and greenhouse gas emissions. In this sense, the general challenge will consist of, in addition to a fairer and more equitable redistribution of production and consumption, the redesign of food systems, promoting sustainable eating patterns and limiting the food loss and waste.

    This Thesis aims to contribute to the identification of the main sources of food loss and waste generation in Spain, as well as the environmental impacts associated with both their generation and their management. All this in order to assist in the decision-making by selecting the best strategies for the production and management of food loss and waste. This Thesis presents a methodological approach that combines life cycle thinking and the Water-Climate-Food (WCF) Nexus approach to address the challenges that arise in each of the stages of the food supply chain, and for each of the different fractions of food loss and waste.

    The WCF Nexus seeks synergies and trade-offs between the exploitation of water resources, the food production and consumption, and the associated climate impacts. The developed methodology aims to be applicable in different contexts and levels, integrating, with a holistic approach, the WCF Nexus and life cycle assessment.