Addressing food waste in rural areas requires more than technical solutions. It requires understanding how food systems operate locally, how actors interact and where inefficiencies or losses may occur.
For this reason, RULESSWASTE follows a structured and territorial approach that places local stakeholders at the centre of the process.
Starting with listening
The first step of the project focuses on understanding the local context. Rural territories often present unique characteristics that influence how food waste is generated: dispersed populations, seasonal production cycles, logistical constraints or fragmented supply chains.
Rather than applying generic solutions, the project begins by engaging with local stakeholders such as municipalities, producers, small businesses, hospitality actors and community organisations.
This engagement allows the consortium to gather qualitative insights about current practices, challenges and opportunities across the local food system.
Identifying opportunities for action
Once the territorial context and stakeholder perspectives are better understood, the project will analyse where food waste may occur along the local value chain.
This diagnostic phase aims to identify patterns and opportunities for improvement that can inform the design of future interventions.
The objective is not only to understand the problem, but to identify practical and realistic opportunities for reducing food waste.
Building solutions together
RULESSWASTE adopts a collaborative approach to ensure that potential solutions reflect the needs and capacities of the territories involved.
By combining territorial engagement, structured analysis and collaboration with local actors, the project seeks to create interventions that are both operational and socially accepted.
This process lays the groundwork for the next phases of the project, where concrete actions will be designed and implemented.
Because sustainable solutions are not imposed — they are built together.
