Circular food: The inspiring story of Moulin du Stwerdu

This article is part of a series dedicated to exploring the journeys of the winners of the second edition of the Go Circular call for projects. In particular, the Moulin du Stwerdu has successfully transformed production waste originally intended for animal feed into high-value food products. While using residues for animal feed is a form of waste recovery, reintegrating them into human food represents a higher-value use according to the Moerman hierarchy.

A few years ago, Laurent decided to breathe new life into the mill that marked his childhood. Since then, with his team, they have been producing edible oils and by-products from rapeseed, hemp, and walnuts. They use a cold-pressing method to preserve the nutritional and taste qualities of the oils. Although this method yields less oil, it ensures a higher-quality final product, free from harmful solvents. However, it also generates a significant amount of pressing residue—oil cakes—which had previously been underutilized and used only for animal feed. Recognizing the potential of this noble by-product, Laurent rethought the process flow. This led to an innovative strategy: using the oil cakes to create flours and other protein-rich foods, such as palm oil-free spreads and tapenades. These products meet the growing demand from vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions or gluten intolerance. This approach is especially important given that such products are often imported into Wallonia at high prices.

Thanks to support from Go Circular, the Moulin du Stwerdu was able to bring this idea to life by investing in new equipment. This includes dehydrators for drying the flours to ensure high-quality finished products; a shelling machine for extracting walnut kernels, which increases both oil and oil cake production; and an electric stacker to support the overall logistics of oil and flour production.

Moreover, beyond its own production, the mill offers its facilities to individuals and farmers, maximizing equipment use. In return, the mill collects the oil cakes for its own production. This example of a sharing economy is already proving successful. In fact, walnut oil production has more than doubled compared to the previous year. The shelling machine funded by Go Circular has contributed to the success of the press for farmers and individuals with walnut harvests—an encouraging sign for the mill’s future.

In addition to its circular aspects, this project has many positive environmental impacts. Consuming protein-rich flours helps reduce animal protein consumption and the environmental impact of livestock farming. Furthermore, all products are organically grown. The mill is also committed to working in short supply chains with local farmers to reduce transportation and intermediaries. This initiative creates local added value and non-relocatable jobs.

Diversification through a circular model allows the Moulin du Stwerdu to expand its activities and increase its resilience. In the coming years, the team aims to create two to three new jobs. Eventually, they plan to establish a second production unit (for oil and flour) elsewhere in Wallonia. This is essential, as they want to work close to farmers who are limited in how far they can transport their harvests to the mill.

If you’d like to learn more, feel free to visit their website or watch their video. Laurent will be happy to present the project and give you a tour of the historic mill. And of course, there’s nothing like tasting their products—like the delicious “Colzamique,” a local version of the famous vinegar.