Researchers at Leeds are developing a new tool to reduce food waste and improve global food security, in partnership with a team at the CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, using AI.

Each day, tonnes of nutrient rich agri-food waste are generated, including damaged crops that have rotted or not been picked. This waste can be fermented using yeast, for example, into upcycled sustainable high-quality protein, which can be used as ingredients in standard food productions or to produce meat and dairy alternatives. The upcycling process contributes to the circular bio economy.

This type of fermentation is complex, due to waste being highly variable. To design the optimal fermentation and subsequent downstream processes, there are lots of decisions to make which takes time, with high costs involved. This leads to the upcycled protein being more expensive than non-upcycled materials making its adoption challenging for the food sector.

To truly impact global food security, upcycled protein can't just be a niche alternative-it has to compete on price with what is already on the supermarket shelf.

A global team of experts led by the University of Leeds is tackling this problem with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), to build a tool that can be used to calculate the optimal set of fermentation conditions to produce microbial protein for the lowest cost possible.

The new tool will share actionable insights into the type of yeast, fermenter and optimal process conditions to use, which will help industry to develop proteins tailored to their needs, quicker and easier. This solution will help industry create microbial protein at a cost comparable with non-upcycled material.

Nicholas Watson, Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Food in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, said: "To truly impact global food security, upcycled protein can't just be a niche alternative-it has to compete on price with what is already on the supermarket shelf. We are excited to work with CSIRO and partners across the globe to bridge that gap, launching an AI platform to turn fermentation of agri-food."

Kai Knoerzer, CSIRO Principal Research Scientist, said: "Billions of tonnes of nutrient-rich material are currently being lost every year.

"If we want a more resilient food system, we need tools that make valorisation simple and scalable.

"Partnering with the University of Leeds, we are combining AI, fermentation science and real case studies to deliver a practical solution that helps industry turn waste into sustainable protein at scale, and we are genuinely looking forward to getting started."

The project is funded by the Bezos Earth Fund, which is supporting 15 global awardees to scale real-world AI-powered solutions to tackle biodiversity loss, climate change, and food insecurity.

Dr Amen Ra Mashariki, Director of AI and Data Strategies at the Bezos Earth Fund, said: "These projects show how AI, when developed responsibly and guided by science and local knowledge, can strengthen environmental action and ensure its overall impact on the planet is positive."

For more information, please contact Rebecca Hurrey at [email protected] in the University of Leeds press office.

Photo credits: Mark Bickerdike.

In April 2024, the Bezos Earth Fund announced a multi-year $100 million AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge to accelerate climate and nature solutions by funding innovative approaches that leverage modern AI to deliver greater speed, scale, accuracy, and precision.