New European Bauhaus
EIT Community Initiative
Canvis a "Adopt the Ugly Foodling (Oulu, Finland)"
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Adopt the Ugly Foodling action aims at reducing food waste by co-creating ideas for consumers and other food chain stakeholders. Ugly Foodling is food that is still edible, but, because it does not look good, it ends to the waste bin. By creating stories to evoke feelings in the citizens about the value of food and bringing together experienced consumers, who lived in times, and places where food was not abundant and respected, and younger consumers that know how to use modern technology for providing solutions, ideas for consumers, food services and the whole food chain were created. These ideas will be implemented within the framework of Oulu2026, the European Capital of Culture 2026.
Challenge addressed
Circular economy through actions sticking to the principles of the food waste hierarchy and efficient reutilisation of bio-products and bio-waste, achieving reductions in emissions and waste as well as fostering the second life of products. (Includes tech solutions on safe ‘clean packaging’, smart waste management system). (EIT Food)
Solution proposed, focus area
The main objective of the Ugly Foodling is to create awareness among young consumers about the reasons and challenges of food waste and bring them together with more experienced consumers (elderly) who spend their youth in different conditions (non-abundance of food, participation to food producing etc.). The urban young consumers will come into contact with the various food chain stakeholders, they will get to know how the food is produced and learn to respect it, find out the bond between the food and cultural identity. On the other hand, being technology natives, they can use it to co-create solutions for the first two tiers of the food waste hierarchy. During the process both the groups will find out how art and culture can be used in evoking feelings and creating experiences that can bring changes in our way of thinking and behaving, about the value that each citizen can bring to the common good, as well as about the bond between culture and food.
Target Groups
- Young consumers (16-25 years of age) from urban environment (City of Oulu)
- Experienced consumers (60 - 90 years of age) from rural, semi-urban (rural center) environment
- Solutions will be potentially adopted by the program for Oulu2026, The European Capital of Culture 2026.
Main activities / milestones
- Engaging the two target groups in Oulu’s educational units (Upper secondary, Universities) and in Retirement Associations in Tyrnävä.
- Creation of the Ugly Foodling stories seeking a happy end by the young consumers
- Collecting cultural based information about food habits from the experienced consumers
- Co-creation event (Makethon) to produce solutions for reducing food waste
- Plans for adoption and further development of the proposed solutions
Partnership
Main actors
VTT Ltd. will be the main actor and will receive the funding.
Oulu2026, the European Capital of Culture (Cultural foundation and the city of Oulu) will be the main actor that will further develop the solutions.
In addition:
Tyrnävä municipality
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, MTK in Tyrnävä
Via the above also, organizations providing information during the Makethon event:
Finpom Oy, food (potato) producer
Oulu Tours Oy: food services
The Northern Photographic Center, art organization
Expected results
- Videos about the challenges of food waste
- Ideas about the reduction of food waste, especially the food that is still edible, but it would otherwise go to the garbage, to be developed within the ECoC 2026 program during the next five years.
- Creating awareness and getting partners through two articles, one on the website of the city of Oulu (munoulu.fi) and one in one of the Kaleva Media newspapers.