The EU-funded SwitchMed programme is working with industries from the food sector in the West Bank to demonstrate the business case for sustainable production and consumption, ensuring the efficient use of natural resources.

The MED TEST II project is a component of the SwitchMed initiative, which promotes an inclusive, sustainable, private sector-led Palestinian economic development, taking into account the local constraints of access to resources to help develop a ‘greener’ economy.

Siniora, one of the participating companies, is a multinational food company producing meat and poultry products for the Palestinian and Arab export market. Tawfiq Odeh, manager of the company’s quality unit outlines the challenges they face and how MED TEST II can assist in upgrading the industry of Palestine.

“Our challenges are mainly in energy and water consumption for manufacturing processes. There are also significant challenges in dealing with pollutants from manufacturing processes such as cardboard, canned residues and other process related wastes. MED TEST II can support in bringing up out-of-the-box ideas that can help optimise power and water consumption and reduce emissions and pollutants by proper technical solutions.”

Considerable saving potentials in water and energy were identified through the MED TEST II project. For instance, by looking into the cooling operations of the company, the local team was able to identify water conservation measures that will reduce the total water consumption by 50%, saving annually 17,000 m3 of water. These savings will not only be beneficial for the company but also for the whole municipality.

The SwitchMed sustainable consumption and production programme aims to promote a switch by the Mediterranean economies towards sustainable consumption and production patterns and green economy, including low-emission development, through demonstration and dissemination of methods that improve resource and energy efficiency. It also seeks to minimise the environmental impacts associated with the life cycle of products and services and, where possible, to promote renewable energy.

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Press release

SwitchMed website