SGP food for a better life! Aldo Marchese School of Economic, Management and Statistic Department of Statistical Sciences “Paolo Fortunati” Alma Mater Studiorum -University of Bologna
Raffaella Inchingolo School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences - DISTAL Alma Mater Studiorum -University of Bologna
Matteo Masotti School of Economic, Management and Statistic Department of Statistical Sciences “Paolo Fortunati” Alma Mater Studiorum -University of Bologna
ABSTRACT: YOUR IDEA The aim of this project is to promote opportunities linked to the re-use of food by-products, in order to extract bioactive compounds to develop added-value products (such as functional foods), leading thus to a reduction of food wastes. An international certification (Sustainable Guaranteed Product -SGP) and a related-logo will be given to the producers that are willing to promote the reuse of their byproducts. This certification will have a positive impact in terms of both marketing (for the producers) and sustainability, thus reducing the agri-food waste and favoring the economic growth of developing and emerging countries. Finally, an application (PricklyApp) will be set up, in order to support the agroindustrial products with a SPG certification.
Categories and Subject Descriptors Food for Sustainable Growth, Food for Culture
Keywords Food Chain, Developing and emerging countries, Waste Reduction, Food Certifications, Food By-products
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INTRODUCTION: AIMS AND BACKGROUND
The aim of this project is to create a new opportunity for the improvement of developing and emerging countries. The basic idea is to create a new virtuous path of development from food. This path may begin with the creation of a new form of certification (like European PDO and PGI) for food producers that will reuse by-products. European Union has already begun to certify some products from extra-European countries, such as ‘Phú Quốc’ (PDO) from Vietnam or ‘Café de Colombia’ (PGI), etc. In this work, we proposed to improve this policy, through the evaluation of the product sustainability, with the reuse of agro-food waste. Modern consumer is looking for products that are eco-friendly, sustainable and ethically correct. Therefore, small and large scale retailers are encouraged to pursue Corporate Social Responsibility policies, which allow them to meet consumers’ needs. The certification that we propose aims to outline the aforementioned concepts, indicating productions which are ethically acceptable, compatible with local traditions, and with a reduced environmental footprint.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE STUDY 1)
As case-study, a world-wide spread food was chosen: the prickly pear cactus.
The prickly pear cactus is a plant of the family Cactaceae (Opuntia Ficus Indica), widespread in all tropical and sub-tropical countries. Due to their large genetic variability and to the different photosynthetic metabolism, the fruits and cladodes are able to grow in areas that are not suitable for most plants. 2)
How is the plant used over the world?
Prickly pear cactus produces fruits and cladodes fit for human consumption and for livestock feed, as well as for the extraction of particular components. In Mediterranean countries, the prickly pears cladodes are not used for human consumption, whereas the fresh fruits are widely eaten and considered one of the healthiest foods, as they contain vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Recently, many countries have increased the production of prickly pears, since they can have very high productivities of both total biomass and fruits [1]. Italy is the second largest world producer and exporter of prickly pears; moreover, in 2003, the Sicily region (Italy) developed a PDO for “Prickly Pear of Etna", being the first origin certification for this fruit all over the world. 3)
From the plant to added-value products through by-product.
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After consumption or processing into other food products, the cactus pear’s seeds and the peel are often discarded. The by-products of prickly pear fruits are an excellent source of natural bioactive compounds, such as dietary fiber (DF), minerals and antioxidants [2]. Some fractions may be extracted and re-used as ingredients for the production of added-value products (such as functional foods), which would lead to the reduction of food wastes and further valorization of the cactus food chain. 4)
Sustainable Guaranteed Product -SGP
An international certification (Sustainable Guaranteed Product -SGP) and related-logo will be given to the producers that are willing to promote the reuse of their by-products as described by the case study.
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APPLICATION AND RESULTS
The prickly pear cactus by-products could be used as ingredients for food, forage formulation, functional food, cosmetic and pharmaceutic sectors. In addition, Opuntia sp. by-products could be employed for ethanol production, wood replacement in furniture or eco-packaging. Finally, in order to support the agroindustrial products with a SPG certification, it should be developed an application (PricklyApp). The latter will report a database of different SPG products interfaced to the Global Positioning System (GPS). Moreover, the application will report, for each product, the information on the production steps, nutritional value and marketing, in order to inform and educate consumers. The food by-products will be identified by an original logo made of the acronym SGP, which displays different colors that represent the diverse elements involved in food production, and is surrounded by the twelve stars of the European Union flag.
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Collaborations
European Commission: Agriculture and Rural Development - Quality policy Department European Commission: Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection - International cooperation Department Ngo and Fair Trade Association Retailers
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
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Local institutions should be involved in projects related to the reduction of agriculture footprint, in order to promote the economic and environmental advantages of a more sustainable agriculture
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EU institutions should promote microfinance and microcredit-based initiatives in order to encourage agricultural techniques with a reduced environmental footprint
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A strong focus should be made on the knowledge of European quality certifications [3].
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The food by-products should be used for the production of added-value products and it would lead to the reduction of food wastes and further valorization of the food chain
Acknowledgments: The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Vladimiro Cardenia and Dott.ssa Maria Sole Rusconi for their contribution.
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REFERENCES
[1] Galizzi, F. A., Felker, P., GonzĂĄlez, C., and Gardiner, D. 2004. Correlations between soil and cladode nutrient concentrations and fruit yield and quality in cactus pears, Opuntia ficus indica in a traditional farm setting in Argentina, Journal of Arid Environments, 59, 1, 115-132.
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[2] Bensadón, S., Hervert-Hernández, D., Sáyago-Ayerdi, S. G., and Goñi, I. 2010. By-products of Opuntia ficus-indica as a source of antioxidant dietary fiber, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 65,3, 210-216. [3] London Economics 2008. Evaluation of the CAP policy on protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI). Report commissioned by European Commission DG Agriculture. London.
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