SUPERVISORS: Fridolin KRAUSMANN / Willi HAAS

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Astghik SAHAKYAN

The estimates show there will be 9 billion people in the world by 2050, with 70% of the global population living in urban areas. Increasing population rates, urbanization, and expanding economies, on the one hand, and increased food waste at all stages of the food systems (production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption), on the other hand may further challenge our ecosystem. The increase may require three times our current resources, putting heavy pressure on food systems. The food system itself is a major driver of climate change, and the impact it has on the environment is gradually getting more severe. Transforming food systems is a task that excels in many policy fields. The challenges that food systems face require a holistic approach to secure co-benefits for the environment, economic development, health, and food security.

In addition, the industrialization of the food system introduced various negative outcomes. In the current food system, for every 1 dollar we spend on food, we accumulate 2 dollars in expenses, encompassing economic, societal, and environmental costs. Food-related economic losses and depletion of natural resources are one dimension of the problem, whereas there is an ethical and social side of the problem as well; that is, the disposal of food in a world where approximately 8.9% of the global population is undernourished. That is why the linear model ‘’take, make, and waste’’ will further deplete the resources with adverse consequences for the state of nature.

The circular economy (CE) framework has been developed in response to a linear model to achieve a reduction of waste and pollution, regeneration of natural systems, and retaining the value of natural resources as long as possible in the socio-economic system.

CE practices applied in food systems aim to reduce the waste generated at different stages of the system, reuse food, utilize by-products in the socio-economic system, sustainably circulate nutrients after returning to nature via ecosystems, and shift to diets that favor sustainable and healthy food patterns. The latter deals with consumer food-related knowledge and skills that require extensive intervention.

My Ph.D. ‘’Rethinking Food Systems: How to Make Food Systems apt for Sustainable CE’’ at the Doctoral School of Social Ecology (DSSE) focuses on conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the existing scholarly literature about circular and sustainable food systems, identifying criteria for an assessment framework of circularity of a food system from different strands of research. The assessment framework is further applied to selected initiatives in Armenia and in Austria, to understand to what extent they comply with it. With these 2 cases, the Ph.D. research seeks to uncover the main challenges and opportunities that underlie the transition towards more sustainable and circular food systems.

PhD research seeks to answer these questions:

  1. What sustainability and circularity assessment criteria can be applied for food systems at case and country levels?
  2. To what extent do these food systems adhere to the principles of sustainability and circular economy?
  3. What is the potential of the two cases for fostering a transition of food systems at case and country level?