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The FOLOU Twinning Regions Program kicks off with 7 organizations ready to replicate project results

10/06/2025

March 2025 marked the official launch of the FOLOU Twinning Regions Program, bringing together seven organizations from five European regions with a shared goal: to test and replicate some of the outcomes of the FOLOU project and tackle food losses at the regional level.

The program kicked off with an online session that brought together all participating regional actors, setting the stage for their engagement in the project. The participating organizations include regional authorities, research institutions, farmers and farmers’ organizations, demonstrating a strong, multi-sectoral approach:

• Albania: Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) and the Institute of Albanian Municipalities (IAM)
• Spain: Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (NEIKER) and the Basque Foundation for Food Safety (ELIKA)
• Italy: University of Pisa (UNIPI) and farmers’ organization Ca Colonna (Emilia-Romagna Region)

• Belgium: Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO)
• The Netherlands: Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
• Poland: Wielkopolska Region

Each participating region has started identifying two priority actions that they will implement over the next 18 months. These actions will focus on replicating and validating key FOLOU outputs, particularly the methodology for quantifying food losses in the primary sector, which has generated strong interest among all the regions.

To support their efforts, two group sessions were held in recent weeks on:

• The FOLOU food loss definition and quantification manual
• The classification and understanding of food loss drivers

These sessions introduced the participating regions to the available measurement methods and different approaches to categorizing food loss drivers. A key takeaway was the importance of assessing both perceived and actual food losses. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were presented as an effective tool for qualitative analysis—allowing for open, in-depth conversations with farmers and a more nuanced understanding of their experiences and challenges.

Building Regional Capacity for Food Loss Reduction

The FOLOU Twinning Regions Program (TWRP) is designed to help regions address food loss through tailored support, practical tools, and access to expert knowledge. FOLOU partners will work closely with local stakeholders to enhance their ability to understand, quantify, and manage food losses—ultimately supporting more sustainable regional food systems.

By the end of the project, these regions are expected to be equipped with the knowledge, methodologies, and confidence to lead food loss reduction efforts independently and inspire further action across Europe.