A Local Circular Economy for Agricultural Produce - Driving force for Sustainable Community Development

Important results from the project

The purpose of the project has been to present a business model in order to make a local circular food chain a driving force for a sustainable development. The goals in the first stage have been: 1.To identify 4-6 key fields that will strengthen a local circular food chain, as well as to present and motivate innovative business development within these fields. 2.To start a co-operation between 15-20 partners who are interested in proceeding with an application for a pilot study with the intention of a strengthened local circular food chain.

Expected long term effects

The project has resulted in a business model for a local circular food chain with five solutions. The key solution is to start the first Food Policy Council in Sweden (FPC). A FPC is a local institution for cooperation within policy and development along the circular food chain. Four partial solutions have been identified: 1)New ways of cooperation to increase local production 2)Smart logistics to increase local distribution 3)Innovative public procurement - to increase local consumption 4)Rural-urban plant nutrient circulation - to increase nutrient economy

Approach and implementation

The project partnership included: the Municipality of Uppsala, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - SLU, HS Consultancy/The Rural Economy & Agriculture Society, SP Food & Bioscience and the Organic Farming Association in Uppland. The project process consisted of a project group and a steering committee carrying through 5 workshops and 3 meetings. The project manager had the main responsibility to broaden the project partnership to new actors within the circular food chain.