Developing closed-loop dairy value chains and tools to support decision-makers

Publication date: 04/12/2023
Extent: 32 pages

Contributions by: Jack B. Hetherington, University of Adelaide/CSIRO Agriculture and Food/Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Australia; Pablo Juliano, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia; and Rodolfo García-Flores, CSIRO Data61, Australia

Chapter synopsis:

Food loss and waste (FLW) is a significant global challenge, and the dairy sector is an important contributor to the problem. There are a number of management options available to utilise dairy FLW in a close-looped system, particularly for developed dairy chains. In this chapter, we identify the dairy FLW management options for diversion and transformation into co-products. The Food Waste Hierarchy provides guidance about preferred food waste management practices. The challenge for individual businesses is identifying the most suitable options for their unique situation, taking into consideration their own goals regarding economic, environmental and social sustainability. Decision support tools (DSTs) may have a role in helping decision-makers consider multiple trade-offs and benefits from FLW options. There are several DSTs available to decision-makers in the dairy sector. This chapter provides a short summary of how DSTs can support dairy businesses to manage FLW and recommendations for the requirements to co-design unique DSTs that suit the needs of end-users across the chain and enable full closed-loop dairy production.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2023.0120.22