- The UPC-Mercabarna Chair, together with 15 volunteers, has carried out the calculation of the losses of fruit and vegetables within the market.
- The results obtained have allowed to classify the organic matter in ‘usable for human consumption’ and ‘not usable’.
The Center for Agrofood Economy and Development (CREDA) has carried out the second quantification of Mercabarna fruit and vegetable waste in 2023. Within the framework of the UPC-Mercabarna Chair, the research center has had a total of 15 volunteers, mostly undergraduate students from the School of Agrofood Engineering and Biosystems of Barcelona of the UPC (EEABB).
The quantification process is based on counting and measuring the observations and actions that have been carried out within the Catalan market in order to numerically express the magnitude of their effects. In this case, students and professionals quantified fruit and vegetable losses in mid-July.
Once the quantities of the waste of these products have been expressed, the responsible team can determine the recovery potential of fruits and vegetables that Mercabarna has, making a classification of the organic matter that is discarded by the wholesalers of the Food Unit in two categories: usable for human consumption and not usable.
Beginnings of the Chair
The UPC-Mercabarna Chair was created as a collaboration tool between university and market in 2020. It was born with the aim of studying and diagnosing the situation and causes of food waste in Catalonia. Thus, the Chair analyzes aspects such as waste in wholesale and retail distribution of the agri-food chain, or the use of innovative and sustainable tools that reduce surpluses and food use.
The Barcelona School of Agrofood Engineering and Biosystems (EEABB) is in charge of managing the correct functioning of this project, which unites company and university through the CREDA. The main tasks of the Chair are: diagnosis, characterization and quantification of food waste.
One of the benefits of this collaboration is the introduction of students and future professionals in the world of work, as it allows them to train in the areas of work and research related to their final objective.
Are you studying? Would you like to participate in any of the activities carried out by the Chair?