A holistic vision on what circular economy means for the food system is currently missing in (and outside of) Flanders. As this is an essential requirement to assess what to include in a monitoring instrument and to evaluate whether the system is evolving towards circularity, a guiding framework is created in this report.

Through a review of existing literature, the available knowledge on (aspects of) CE and food from both academic and policy documents was brought together and supplemented with the insights of stakeholders in Flanders through a participatory Delphi approach.

In essence, a circular system for food comes down to minimizing the material demand and associated environmental impact of this system, while still ensuring that the nutritional need in Flanders is met for all citizens through a safe, balanced and healthy diet.