UglyFruitsNOT! "Ugly" fruits and veggies...NOT! - An innovative educational program towards sustainable consumption and food waste reduction
Overview
The ERASMUS+ project UglyFruitsNOT! is concerned with promoting sustainability awareness and the design, implementation and evaluation of training measures for vocational trainers with regard to consumer education issues related to the reduction of fruit and vegetable waste in the context of sustainable production. To this end, awareness and information modules are implemented within a learning platform. UglyFruitsNOT! has a duration of 24 months and the project language is English.
2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, which aims to raise awareness of the nutritional and health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, of the total amount of food produced worldwide for individual consumption, about one-third of the edible fruits and vegetables worldwide are removed from the food supply chain, disposed of and wasted each year (FAO, 2019; de Hooge et al., 2018, p. 698).
Additionally, consumers unfortunately tend to interpret the quality of fruits and vegetables based on their appearance. If fruits are not the right size, shape, or color, they tend to throw them away or not buy them. This way, a significant amount of waste is created, even though the “ugly” fruits and vegetables still have the same nutritional value. They taste the same, but are rejected because of their poor appearance and abnormal appearance.
Our current fruit and vegetable supply chains are linear and many of the problems we face today are often the direct result of the 'take, make, use and dispose' system that characterizes these chains and leads to a high level of food loss and waste. There is a need at the European and national level to stimulate thought processes and lay the foundations for behavior change through education and awareness-raising, especially within the supply chain and particularly among retailers who come into direct contact with consumers. This is an essential basis for consumer education issues and suggestions for changing consumer behavior.
Partners:
- - UNIWERSYTET PRZYRODNICZY WE WROCLAWIU, Poland
- (coordinator, university partner)
- University of Paderborn, Chair of Business Education II, Germany
- (concept partner, evaluation and didactics partner, university partner)
- Stando LTD, Cyprus
- (concept partner, development and testing partner)
- COFAC Cooperativa de Formacao e animacao cultural CRL, Portugal
- (development and testing partner)
- Stowarzyszenie ARID, Poland
- (development and testing partner)
- Innovation HIVE, Greece
- (development and testing partner)
- Inercia Digital SL, Spain
- (development and testing partner)
- PNEVMA LLC, Bulgaria
- (development and testing partner)
Objective
The UglyFruitsNOT! project is responding to this challenge by developing an innovative educational program for VET trainers and teachers involved in training professionals in the food supply chain, to
- build knowledge and awareness among them about the importance of keeping these products in the economy, to encourage a reduction in food waste,
- highlight the important role of “ugly” fruit and vegetables in reducing fruit and vegetable waste through sustainable production and consumption, and
- become “ambassadors” for consumers by raising their awareness of the importance of “ugly” fruit and vegetables in reducing waste through sustainable consumption.
The project's target group is accordingly vocational trainers, teachers and instructors.
- The aim is to provide vocational trainers, teachers and instructors with in-depth skills to deliver training to professionals in the food supply chain that focuses on the importance of reducing “ugly” fruit and vegetable waste in the context of sustainable consumption.
- Another goal is to implement and evaluate an UglyFruitsNOT! training program for vocational trainers.
- One focus is on supporting educational efforts in the context of digitized and creative learning and training via an e-learning platform and modules with digital interactive stories for the professional development of vocational training instructors.
- In addition, a curricular concept and a handbook for vocational trainers will be developed.
- The aim is to assign a key role to vocational trainers in contributing to the design of sustainable development values in the food supply chain and sustainable consumption among experts.
More Information
Results
R1 The UglyFruitsNOT! State-of-the-art Report R2 The UglyFruitsNOT! Curriculum and Handbook for VET trainers R3 The UglyFruitsNOT! Digital interactive stories R4 The UglyFruitsNOT! e-Learning platform