The 5 obstacles to upcycling — A new Kost Studio publication
Tackling food loss and waste is no longer optional—it’s essential if we are to keep the global food system within planetary boundaries. In Denmark alone, more than 800,000 tonnes of high-quality food ingredients go unused every year. That’s why today, we’re proud to launch Making Sidestreams Mainstream—a new catalogue which has mapped the obstacles of upcycling.
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The catalogue is the result of in-depth interviews with 19 sidestream experts from across academia and industry. We identified five key groups of obstacles that stand in the way of upcycling sidestreams.
- Cultural—perceptions of upcycled foods as waste
- Technological— logistics and stabilization driving up costs
- Economic—the role of investors and their scepticism
- Gastronomic— taste as a non-negotiable for market success
- Systemic—innovation infrastructure and regulations blocking market entry
We also reflect on a crucial question: is upcycling always the right solution? Not all sidestream innovations are automatically sustainable or scalable—which calls for acknowledging this early in production to make the right decisions.
This catalogue is more than a publication—it’s part of a broader effort to create space for interdisciplinary dialogue and action. Through networking events, workshops, and resources like this, we’re working to connect researchers, entrepreneurs, and food professionals to rethink the future of food together.
Because for the right minds, a “huge problem” is just another word for “huge opportunity.”
This catalogue is created through the Interdisciplinary Future Food Network, funded by GUDP under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
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Main authors
Helena Gustavs Formgren
Ellen Kjær Junker
Contributing authors
Asmus Gamdrup Jensen
Peter Nøhr
Louise Beck Brønnum
Sofie Raae Søndergaard