Food and design for sustainable cities and a local circular economy

Food waste is one of the enemies of sustainability. Food waste impacts the economy and the environment because the life cycle of food requires the use of resources and if the food is not consumed the resources used will also be wasted. About a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, increasing solid waste management costs. At the same time, most cities are home to people suffering from hunger and malnutrition because of insufficient access to food. By reducing food waste by households and food retailers and redistributing as much excess food as possible, cities can address these problems. For what has been said and to try to frame the phenomenon of food waste with a specific focus on the historic markets of Palermo, the Ballarò Market was chosen as the area of intervention. The objective of the study aims to evaluate food waste, in particular fruit and vegetables which can be found at the Ballarò market, aiming to activate greater education and awareness on the properties and benefits that the reintegration of these wastes transformed into new products could have within a new circular economy system for the cities