Webinars
Webinar series: the five principles of CFS
New Webinar Series: The Principles of Circular Food Systems
The Circular Food Systems Network, hosted by the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), is excited to launch our ‘ Live Conversations’ webinar series:
The Principles of Circular Food Systems – Live Conversations
Join us for an engaging, podcast-style session where we dive deep into the core principles of circular food systems—not through formal presentations, but through dynamic conversations, critical questions, and multiple expert perspectives. Think of it as a live talk show on the future of circular food systems.
The transformation of current agrifood systems to more circular food systems can be done in many ways, on a variety of scales (field – farm – regional – national – cross continental) and through different measures, techniques and innovations. It can therefore be difficult to understand what makes an agricultural system circular and when we can speak of “a circular food system”.
Different researchers have described circular food systems and circularity within agriculture through main principles that can serve as a guide to evaluate agrifood systems more systematically and implement practices that align with these main principles, thus ensuring consensus on what we mean with circular food systems, and what needs to be done in order to transform current food systems into circular ones.
Therefore, the concept of circular food systems can be described through five principles, as proposed by Muscat et al. (2021), which in short can be listed as: safeguard, avoid, prioritize, recycle, entropy, which ensures circular biomass use and can be translated to implementable measures in agrifood systems.
Episode 2: Non-essential vs. Essential Food Products
Date: 09/12/2025 11:00-12:00 CET
Location: Online
In this episode, we explore the principle of “avoiding non-essential products and the waste of essential ones”—a cornerstone of circular food systems. What does it mean to classify foods as essential or non-essential? Why does this matter for sustainability and equity? And how do cultural and regional differences shape these definitions?
Expect an open, conversational format as our guest experts unpack questions like:
How do we define essential vs. non-essential foods in a circular bioeconomy?
What benefits arise from focusing on this principle within agri-food systems?
How do cultural and regional contexts influence what is considered “essential”?
What are the environmental and social implications of reducing non-essential products like sugar?
Featuring Special Guests:
Dr. Abigail Muscat – Coordinating Advisor in European Research Collaborations at Wageningen University & Research. Abigail works at the science-policy interface on food systems, climate, and bioeconomy topics. She is first author of the influential paper “Principles, drivers and opportunities of a circular bioeconomy” and specializes in strategies for transforming food systems through circular principles.
Dr. Alon Shepon – Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University. Alon’s research focuses on sustainable food systems and nutrition. He is lead author of the study “Environmental and social opportunities of reducing sugar intake” and brings expertise on dietary shifts, resource efficiency, and global sustainability trade-offs.
Episode 1: Ecosystem Safeguarding – Land and Water Perspectives
Date: 26/06/2025 12:00-13:00 CET
Location: Online
In this opening session, we explore how to protect the ecosystems that underpin our food systems—from soils to seas.
Expect an open, conversational format as our guest experts unpack questions like:
How can we align aquaculture with ecological regeneration?
What does circularity look like in land vs. water-based systems?
How do we stop overfishing and nutrient runoff without compromising food production?
What role can agroforestry play in enhancing resilience and nutrient cycling in land-based systems?
What lessons can land-based agriculture learn from aquaculture—and vice versa?
We’ll also explore practical solutions and system-wide strategies for maintaining ecosystem health, circular nutrient flows, and long-term sustainability.
Featuring Special Guests:
Patrick Worms – Senior Science Policy Advisor, CIFOR-ICRAF & President of the International Union of Agroforestry
Anne-Jo van Riel – Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Officer, Wageningen University & Research (WUR); PhD on aquaculture’s role in circular food systems