The Reuse of Food Loss and Waste in the Viticulture Sector

The concept of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) is a global challenge, and it is receiving increased attention from both the academic and policy sectors. This problem is becoming more widespread and is increasingly mentioned, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. This article proposes to discuss the problem of FLW in the grape crops in order to offer solutions for reusing the leftovers from the crop. The paper will present the current state of knowledge of FLW, the supply and value chain of the crops and a detailed analysis of quantities produced, imported, exported and processed. This paper is based on the research done in the IPSUS project that considers the use of techniques for recovering recycled plant and seaweed proteins from raw materials. Also, the quantity, quality and upcycling opportunities of FLW along the value chain will be investigated. To analyse the quality and quantity of FLW from viticulture, an IoT system will be used to measure different environmental parameters such as air temperature and humidity, soil moisture and precipitation levels to estimate the quality and quantity of the harvest, an essential element in the concept of food loss and waste. The results of the research will demonstrate the importance of the reuse of grape crops thus offering new possibilities of development in the agricultural field in Romania.