Refreshing Metropolitan Food Clusters (MFCs)

ACADEMIC CONSULTANCY TRAINING (ACT) PROJECTS

29 Apr

Research Overview: Exploring New Chains for Metropolitan Food Clusters (MFCs)

This research project set out to identify innovative and efficient combinations of food production chains for current and future Metropolitan Food Clusters (MFCs). In this context, an MFC is a collaborative network of producers, agribusinesses, and knowledge institutions that work together to address shared challenges and opportunities. These networks play a vital role in sustainably feeding growing urban populations.

To optimise MFC operations and generate ideas for new clusters, the team conducted a stakeholder analysis to identify key actors in the agri-food system. A significant part of the project focused on a creative brainstorming process to develop new combinations of chains and potential locations. The most promising ideas were then evaluated for feasibility using the People, Planet, Profit (PPP) framework.

This study was carried out by a team of five Master’s students with diverse expertise in Management, Economics, Environmental Policy, Farm Technology, and Urban Agriculture. Over 900 hours were dedicated to this project, with the final report submitted on 19 October 2017.

WMFC Review

This was the first Academic Consultancy Training (ACT) project conducted in collaboration with the WMFC team. The objective was to identify innovative chain combinations to expand MFC agri-food systems.

Building on ideas provided by the WMFC team, the students conducted detailed case studies of eight previous MFC projects in Mexico, Singapore, China, and the Netherlands. This was followed by literature reviews, interviews, reflective analysis, and creative brainstorming sessions. The team eventually proposed two major chain concepts with strong potential to enhance the sustainability and ecological integration of MFCs:

MFCow

This concept introduces duckweed and hemp into the dairy production chain and not just as animal feed, but also as sustainable bedding materials and components of water treatment systems. The MFCow model can be extended to other chains, including aquaculture, pig and poultry farming, and industries targeting pet and human food markets.

MFSea

MFSea centres on the integration of fish, insects, and algae. Insects and algae serve a dual role: processing waste streams while also providing nutrient-rich feed for fish. Beyond fish production, the chain has the potential to support industries producing natural colourants, fertilisers, and alternative proteins for pet and human consumption.

To further explore this concept, WMFC supported a dedicated research project focused on the feasibility of using algae as a soy replacement in dairy cow diets. The project assessed the nutritional suitability of algae, on-farm cultivation possibilities, and economic viability:

Research Overview

Soy is a major source of protein in dairy cow diets, but its production comes with environmental costs. Algae offer a promising alternative—provided they meet specific criteria for protein and fat content, palatability, digestibility, and effects on cow health.

Key findings from the research:

Protein & Fat: Four algae species were identified with high protein content and low fat levels, helping to avoid milk fat depression:
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa
- Dunaliella bioculata
- Spirulina platensis
- Spirulina maxima
Palatability: Cows appear willing to eat dried algae, though intake can vary. Wet algae also show promise, though research is limited.
Digestibility & Health: Thick cell walls, toxins, and high fat levels may reduce digestibility, but no significant negative effects on cow health were observed.

This research sets a clear direction for further experimentation and development.

WMFC Perspective

Dairy farming faces multiple sustainability challenges—greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, high feed costs, and waste stream management among them. The WMFC team sees algae integration as a strategy to address all three issues:

Environmental Benefits: Algae can recycle nutrient-rich wastewater and process methane emissions with methanotrophic bacteria.
Feed Innovation: Replacing soy with algae could lower feed costs and improve sustainability.
Circular Value Creation: Turning “waste” into a resource creates synergies across the food system.

While early findings show limited impact on methane reduction from feeding algae alone, this integration lays the foundation for broader innovations. WMFC is currently designing and testing technologies to push this concept further, aiming for scalable, low-emission dairy systems.

Click to download 'Feeding Algae' presentation

This concept inspired another ACT project, this time focused on the feasibility of using insect production to process food waste and provide sustainable animal feed in Singapore:

Research Overview

With a population of 5.6 million on just 716 km², Singapore imports over 90% of its food. Following independence, national priorities shifted away from agriculture and towards urban development. Today, Singapore is rethinking this model, aiming for greater food security and sustainability through innovative, circular solutions.

One national goal is to produce 30% of nutritional needs locally by 2030 ("30 by 30"). In this context, WMFC and Wageningen University launched an ACT project to explore whether food manufacturing by-products could be transformed into animal feed, using insects as part of a circular food system.

Key areas of investigation included:

Local food waste and by-product streams
Existing animal production systems
Relevant legislation for food and feed use
Trade links, logistics infrastructure, and policy openness
Benchmarking with European circular systems

The project explored how Singapore’s efficient logistics, proactive governance, and advanced innovation ecosystem could support a food-to-feed strategy, despite the country's minimal agricultural sector.

WMFC Perspective

Singapore’s unique urban environment presents both challenges and opportunities for agri-food innovation. With little existing agriculture, the country has a clean slate to build a modern, sustainable food system—especially for high-priority products like leafy greens, eggs, and fish.

However, animal feed costs are high due to the low scale of local production. Circular approaches, such as feeding livestock with by-products from the human food sector, could:

Reduce waste and environmental impact
Lower feed costs for producers
Support local food resilience
Attract high-quality investment into new agri-tech sectors

Yet, several challenges remain:

Limited available data on waste stream volumes
Small market size may hinder the creation of viable business cases
Investor hesitancy due to uncertain scalability

The ACT team provided a foundational overview, and WMFC is now shifting focus to the demand side, particularly local animal producers. Using the “30 by 30” target as a guiding framework, WMFC is assessing whether the demand can support a sustainable insect-based feed industry.

Future Plans

While early findings indicate promising potential, achieving scale will be essential. WMFC continues to explore: