AI with meaning: Prediction that puts sustainability in focus

By 2030, the players in the catering industry have a goal of halving food waste, and Norwegian canteens must do their part of the job. If you don't use prediction in canteen operations, it will be difficult to run sustainably, says Nikolai Halle, Nordic sales manager at Izy.

- Time passes quickly. If we are to achieve the goal of halving food waste and reducing CO₂ emissions, everyone must contribute and use tools that actually work. With prediction and the use of AI, you can say with 96 percent how many visitors will come to your canteen 30 days in advance and plan purchases accordingly . It will also be easier to find staffing, says Nikolai Halle from Izy . Reducing food waste can bring several benefits, also for farm owners and investors.

Obtain green financing by reducing food waste

- You can obtain more favorable financing for property. The reason is that measures that reduce food waste can be classified as sustainable according to the EU's taxonomy, explains Halle. The taxonomy classifies economic activities that the EU considers sustainable and contribute to the green transition in Europe. 

- Measures, investments and reporting on food waste contribute to achieving green financing and a strengthened market position within the EU, he says.

Food waste is directly linked to the UN's 12th sustainability goal, which is about responsible consumption and production, and specifically to target 12.3, which is about halving food waste. So if you have ambitions to operate sustainably, prediction is a no-brainer, emphasizes Halle.

Nordic worst in food waste

While Norway lags behind in reducing food waste, both Sweden and Denmark have a completely different awareness of the problem and have succeeded in reducing the CO₂ footprint caused by throwing away food. In Norway, we actually emit twice as much CO₂ per per capita compared to Sweden. 

In 2022, we threw away approximately 450,000 tonnes of edible food, according to Matvett. A significant proportion comes from Norwegian commercial kitchens and canteens. As much as 20 percent of the food there is thrown away, according to figures from the Nordic Council of Ministers .

- When, on average, food is prepared for 200 people in over 4,000 Norwegian canteens daily, the amount of waste becomes enormous. With prediction, the canteens are able to permanently reduce food waste and contribute to significantly lowering their carbon footprint, says Halle.

What is prediction, and how does it work in practice?

- Prediction may seem like a technical and complex process, but simply put it is about using data from previous periods to make good assumptions about the future, explains Ole Aabel who is CVO at Izy AS and one of the people behind the Norwegian tech company Izy. They have developed the Izy app, which has been put into use in a number of commercial buildings and is used, among other things, for payment in canteens, kiosks, booking meeting rooms and Conference meal . Transaction data from the app is collected and used as a basis for prediction.

- With prediction, the canteen has the opportunity to plan the number of portions more precisely, which helps to reduce surplus production and food waste. We have made it easy for our customers to use the data to improve canteen operations without them needing an advanced technical background, he explains.

- By using advanced prediction models and a unique CO₂ dashboard, we provide our customers in Facility Management (FM) with a tool that not only predicts visitor numbers, but also shows how they can significantly reduce their carbon footprint, explains Ole Aabel.

Izy integrates sustainability with unique CO₂ dashboard

Because Izy does not stop at predicting visitor numbers in canteens. A new and unique CO₂ dashboard has been developed to calculate the carbon footprint of the canteen. The calculation is based on several factors, including energy use, menu selection, food waste and resource use. 

- The dashboard is a management tool that enables the canteen to work actively to contribute to achieving the UN's emissions targets and thus control over its environmental footprint. In an industry where such tools are not standard, our CO₂ dashboard will give FM customers the opportunity to integrate sustainability into daily operations in a way that has not previously been possible, explains Aabel. The CO₂ dashboard makes visible what can be done by measures for more sustainable operations. For example

• Adjustment of the menu using more short-traveled and sustainable ingredients
• Optimization of energy use
• Management of staffing

Make the canteen sustainable and efficient

- We want to use AI, and the opportunities it gives us, to develop smart and sustainable solutions that contribute to a better world. AI is used for a lot of strange things today, and one can suspect that someone invokes AI technology even if it's really just a slightly advanced Google search, says Nikolai Halle.

- Together with our customers in the field of canteen operations, we will make a real difference. For us, it's about making canteen operations sustainable, efficient and climate-friendly. And you can start already today! Within 1-2 weeks, you can get enough data to start predicting the operation of your canteen, he emphasizes.

Did you know that…

... it was thrown approx. 450,000 tonnes of edible food in Norway in 2022, including from canteens.

... 20 percent of food prepared in canteens and commercial kitchens ends up as waste?

... Norway has committed to halving food waste by 2030?

... food waste is an important area for businesses that want to adapt to the EU taxonomy and achieve green financing or a better market position within the EU?

... food waste is directly linked to the UN's sustainability goal 12, which is about responsible consumption and production. To be more specific, food waste falls under target 12.3: By 2030, halve food waste per capita worldwide in the retail and consumer sectors and reduce food waste and loss throughout the value chain, including post-harvest .