From farm to food waste? : Opportunities and limitations for a circular economy in the cow milk and oat drink industries

Abstract: The purpose of our thesis is to determine to what extent the cow milk and oat drink industries can implement a circular economy according to Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition. In addition, we will discuss the impact on the overall sustainability.  31% of the anthropogenic emissions stem from processes related to food production and in Sweden, a significant portion of these stem from the dairy industry– which has also been noticed by some oat drink companies. The problem is further amplified by the fact that a third of the food produced for human consumption ends up lost or wasted. Multiple laws and policies have been introduced to combat this, and new solutions are needed. A term that has gained popularity lately is the circular economy, which focuses on closing the loop and thus eliminating waste. That way, if would be possible to see the environmental impact from the oat drink and cow milk industries in a bigger perspective.  We have conducted a qualitative study using primary and secondary data. The primary data stems from 11 semi-structured interviews and the secondary data comes from relevant documents by the companies. An inductive approach was used.  The results showed that it is not possible for these industries to implement an entirely circular food supply chain because of the inevitable food waste. Overall, there is also a lack of terminology and measuring methods in both areas related to the CE. Yet, the work with food waste has come far within the individual companies but the coordination between companies that will allow them to cooperate requires further attention. The efforts should be aimed at the consumer level and seek to clarify the question of responsibility. Furthermore, the difficulties in profitability must be solved, and an improved compensation system is needed. Finally, we noted that a circular economy is not by definition perfectly sustainable, and that changes in the oat drink can lead to other implications of a study like this one.