Realizing the vision of a circular food system

This report details a policy dialogue workshop organized by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in autumn 2019. The workshop focused on developing a vision for a sustainable bioeconomy in the Öresund region by 2050, using the Foodhills platform in Bjuv, Sweden, as a concrete example of circular food production systems.

• The Swedish bioeconomy's economic value was 7.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014, with forest-based sectors accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total. In the county of Skåne, the bioeconomy differs from the national average, with roughly half based on agriculture and food processing.
• The Foodhills 2030 vision aims to establish a "Food Valley of Sweden" characterized by a 15% increase in Swedish food production alongside decreased negative environmental impacts, the doubling of the market share for greenhouse-grown vegetables, and the export of smart greenhouse cultivation solutions.
• To achieve the 2030 vision, participants identified the need for cross-sectoral cooperation and the avoidance of "silos" across the food value chain. Key priorities include educating consumers to increase demand for low-footprint products and innovating in processing, packaging, and distribution to enable industrial symbiosis.
• The 2050 vision for a sustainable bioeconomy in the Öresund region emphasizes fully circular resource flows, a zero carbon footprint, and climate change adaptation. Proposed adaptation measures include multi-cropping and no-tillage production systems, while dietary shifts would involve higher protein intake from vegetable sources and insects.
• Long-term strategic actions for Foodhills to enable the 2050 vision include pursuing high-risk, ambitious projects—such as large-scale greenhouse production of coffee or tropical fruits—and developing niche markets in preventive healthcare for aging populations and plant-based dairy alternatives for lactose-intolerant consumers.
• The workshop discussions integrated three bioeconomy visions: the bioresource vision (economic development via bioresources), the bio-ecology vision (resource efficiency and circular flows), and the biotechnology vision (focused on improving taste and quality rather than current common uses).

APA

Olsson, O., Ostwald, M., & Östergren, K. (2020). Realizing the vision of a circular food system. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sei-report-oresund-circular-food-olsson-aug-2020.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Olle, Madelene Ostwald, and Karin Östergren. Realizing the vision of a circular food system. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2020. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sei-report-oresund-circular-food-olsson-aug-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Olle |last2=Ostwald |first2=Madelene |last3=Östergren |first3=Karin |title=Realizing the vision of a circular food system |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=August 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sei-report-oresund-circular-food-olsson-aug-2020.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2020realizing, author = {Olsson, Olle and Ostwald, Madelene and Östergren, Karin}, title = {{Realizing the vision of a circular food system}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sei-report-oresund-circular-food-olsson-aug-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }