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The kick-off of the identification, recruitment and engagement of FOLOU’s Twinning Regions

17/06/2024

As the initial outcomes of the FOLOU project begin to materialise, partners involved in exploitation and outreach activities have started identifying, recruiting, and engaging FOLOU’s Twinning Regions (TWRs).

This effort aims to develop replication plans that support the measurement and assessment of Food Losses (FL) in primary production

FOLOU is working on the identification of at least 5 regions interested in the prevention of food losses in the primary sector. These regions will be provided a tailored twinning program, responding to the specific needs of the regions and their food sector actors.

The activities in which the ‘FOLOU-ME regions’ will be able to gain experience are as follows:

1. A methodology to quantify food losses (per crop category, and at different scales (plot, farm, regional level);
2. The testing and adoption of innovative technologies tested in the FOLOU’s pilot sites;
3. The digitalised food losses reporting system – referred to as Food Loss Registry;
4. The testing of the Sustainability tool

Moreover, participating regions will be able to benefit from certified training courses provided by the University of Reading, and offered by the FOLOU Learning Centre.

The recruited regions, called FOLOU-ME regions, will receive support from the FOLOU partners for the development of replication plans, starting from June 2025 throughout the ending year (2026) of the project. By the end of 2024, the Letters of Agreement between FOLOU and the twinning regions will be signed and the Twinning replication program will officially start.

The specific and detailed twinning program offered to the regions, will provide to the FOLOU-ME regions the mechanisms and tools to prevent Food Losses in the primary sector.

With regulatory changes and the quantification and reduction of food losses becoming a priority challenge worldwide, regions will be able to play a pioneering role in better understanding and managing food losses in their territories, with the help and support of FOLOU partners’ experts.

A FOLOU Twinning Regions explanation brochure is currently in the making, and will be published online during the summer. Nevertheless, if you are a regional authority, a food cluster, a research institute or a farmer organisation interested in learning more and participating in this program, do not hesitate to contact us via this link.

Working on food loss prevention is also key to achieve sustainable agri-food systems. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity!