In 2019, the European research project REFRESH has come to an end. Since 2015, the 26 project partners from across Europe and China have made considerable progress in tackling food losses and food waste along production and supply chains with an integrated approach towards a more sustainable and responsible food system. This video summarises the main activities and findings within the project's three focus areas.

This video summarises the REFRESH project’s activities and findings in the field of consumer behavior. Households account for more than half of the food waste generated in the EU. A large survey conducted by REFRESH in four European countries revealed relevant information on consumer food waste behavior that was used to draw conclusions for policy makers.

This video shows options studied within REFRESH of how to use food side flows in a more sustainable way than it is done today. One example is feeding treated surplus food to omnivorous livestock.

This video summarises the main activities and findings of the five national platforms. In order to adapt actions and responses to food waste challenges nationally, REFRESH established national networking platforms in the following five countries: Germany, Hungary, Spain, the Netherlands and China. The national platforms set up voluntary agreements and started different pilot activities against food waste, which are presented in this video.

This video introduces potential actors to river restoration. It includes interviews with project managers of river restoration measures across Germany.

The river Wern in Franconia was modified in the 1930s in order to enable agriculture right up to the edge of the river. As a result, biotope and species diversity declined significantly. Since 1995, the Wern has been gradually regaining a near-natural state through systematic, sectional restoration measures.

Today, Fischerhude's floodplain of the Wümme near Bremen is an area of recognised ecological importance, especially for waterbound breeding and resting birds. This was made possible by a large-scale nature conservation project, in which numerous measures have been carried out since 1992 to restore water bodies, including the relocation of dykes, the creation of spawning grounds and riparian buffer strips.

More than 20 individual measures were implemented to ensure the continuity and restoration of the Ruhr in Arnsberg. This resulted in a near-natural river landscape in the middle of the city. The restored Ruhr is increasingly shaping the cityscape. Flood protection has also improved significantly.

The "Masterplan Fuldaaue" is an example of good cooperation between the Hessian municipalities of Bebra, Rotenburg and Alheim. The Fulda was restored near-naturally and flood protection was improved. Financing was provided by different funding sources and the costs were kept low by creative solutions.

The water landscape of the Hase and its tributaries Lower Saxony is ecologically upgraded. The dykes are relocated, floodplain revitalisations and watercourse conversions are carried out. This can only be done in close cooperation with all those involved, but above all with agriculture, which makes land available and extensifies uses.

In the urban area of Rastatt, river bank protection of the Murg was removed in order to create near-natural hydromorphological structures. Out of town, floodplains were reactivated for flood protection. The Yellow-bellied Toad and the Crested Newt also benefit from the restoration measures.

Technical flood protection and the use of hydropower have heavily modified the river Inn. Fish hardly find their vital habitats here. The local hydropower company restructures the river banks, creates alternative habitats and promotes biodiversity in the floodplain. The measures are implemented in close cooperation with the Free State of Bavaria and local authorities and interest groups.

Fish can again reach reproduction areas in the upper Ahr without any obstacles. In addition, the Ahr estuary was restored and almost 100 obstacles to fish migration were rebuilt or removed over a distance of 62 km up to the Eifel region. Cooperation between water management, nature conservation and fishing enabled the creation of this habitat network.

An innovative approach combines technical flood protection and restoration of the river Helme near Sundhausen in Thuringia. The risk of flooding is significantly reduced and companies are settling in the now flood-free industrial areas. Rare and protected species, such as the endangered river mussel (Unio crassus), also benefit from near-natural flood protection measures.

Long-term land management enabled extensive restoration of the river Nebel in Mecklenburg. In the lowland areas, construction measures were necessary because there is not enough flow velocity for a self-dynamic development. Restoration also increased ecosystem services such as carbon storage and landscape cooling.