Anne VERNIQUET is sustainability manager at dss+, Circulab community member and expert in eco-innovation of business models and eco-design of products in the agri-food and luxury value chains. This article introduces the Swiss case study of the European FAIRCHAIN project, coordinated by dss+ and concerning the fruit sector.
When it comes to food waste, certain figures are starting to become well known: we know that around 30% of all fruit and vegetables in Europe never reach the end consumer, mainly because of their size or appearance (the famous ‘ugly’ fruit and vegetables). We also know that fruit and vegetables are among the first food products to end up in the bin once bought (up to 42% of all food waste in France, for example).
But there is a lesser-known aspect of waste that, if we were to reverse the trend, would represent a source of value for the entire sector and for local areas as a whole: we are talking here about fruit by-products!
Under-exploited co-products
European fruit growers and processors can increase the value they create from their fruit. Fruit co-products such as apple pomace or apricot pits are generally sent directly to animal feed or biodigestion to produce energy and compost. They are under-exploited and could be put to better use locally in line with the principles of the circular economy.
The result would be a cascade of multiple uses, starting with material recovery, followed by energy recovery and finally nutrient recovery to close the loop.
FAIRCHAIN, an exemplary case for reversing the trend
In French-speaking Switzerland, partners in the European FAIRCHAIN project are producing vinegar by fermenting a mixture of wet by-products, based on apple pomace and molasses. The leftovers are then used to feed mealworms to obtain other sources of protein, and finally bio-digested to produce renewable energy and compost for the nutrient cycle.
FAIRCHAIN vinegar, rich in organic acids and beneficial polyphenols, has many promising applications in agronomy and detergents, demonstrating its potential as a biostimulant for plants and seeds, and as an ecological cleaning agent.
The FAIRCHAIN vinegar production process: from by-products to phytosanitary application
At the same time, an innovative regional concept can add value to apricot kernels and other regional woody co-products by using pyrolysis technology to produce three valuable products: renewable heat as a local substitute for fossil energy, a biochar-based fertiliser to improve the soil, and carbon credits because biochar can sequester carbon in the soil over the long term and contribute to a regional climate strategy. Biochar is the black residue from the oxygen-free combustion of biomass; it improves soil health by acting as a sponge that retains water, nutrients and micro-organisms.
This forward-looking regional model has not yet been fully exploited, and awareness-raising and applied agronomic research are still needed to fully integrate it into a local European ecosystem such as that of the central Valais.
From adding value to co-products to new regional business models
In the short term, this cascade of adding value to fruit co-products can generate new regional circular business models and new links between local processors, food entrepreneurs and farmers. It can add value to regional business models!
For example, Cogiterre can produce and market batches of vinegar based on co-products from Biofruits, which can create and share more added value with fruit growers.
The Circulab tools have been used to encourage the co-creation and generation of regional circular business models during workshops based on consensus and collective intelligence.
To go further
To find out more about this Swiss case study: Podcast
To find out more about this case study and the 5 other case studies in the European FAIRCHAIN project: FAIRCHAIN case studies
