Sustainable Food
From 'Farm to Fork': designing a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system
The food sector accounts for nearly one-third of global GHG emissions, consumes large amounts of natural resources and does not allow fair economic returns and livelihoods for all actors, in particular for primary producers. The European Farm to Fork Strategy seeks to put our food systems on a sustainable path. New technologies and scientific discoveries, combined with increasing public awareness and demand for sustainable food, will benefit all stakeholders. To succeed on this path we need a thorough understanding of what drives the stakeholders in the food system towards change.
Specific description of action
This social experiment stream will explore the emergence of sustainable systems, by interrogating the underlying narratives of change that food system stakeholders have about what sustainable innovations are. This experiment stream will focus in particular on exploring the spread of narratives and what type of innovative approaches they propose, such as agri-food technologies, regenerative production, governance of food, or personalised nutrition. Exploring what narratives are dominant can help explain what innovations and interventions are most likely to be supported, which has the potential to influence the direction of sustainability transitions.
SHARED GREEN DEAL will engage with change-makers working in different food systems in Europe, analysing and discussing their narratives on food innovations, while considering the broader food system and social dynamics that play a role at the local level. This knowledge exchange will take place both locally and across European regions to facilitate and investigate peer-to-peer learning for transformative change.
Local Partners
In the beginning of 2023, four local partners were chosen to work together with SHARED GREEN DEAL on Sustainable Food. The four partners were chosen out of a total of 85 applicants for this stream.
- REFORMATEN, Stockholm, Sweden
- ASFODELO, Cella Monte, Italy
- Gemeente Wageningen, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Klíma ťa potrebuje, City of Košice, Slovakia
Social sciences and humanities background
This stream is grounded within the fields of food systems thinking and sustainability transitions research. It will shed light on the diverse narratives informing processes of change (in practices, visions, and social norms) in food systems, building on insights from the TRANSIT project.
In addition, it will explore the wider system dynamics that shape innovations and explore potential synergies between food innovations, following up on lessons from the JPI Urban Europe’s Sirius Project. Finally, it will build on the unique hybrid arena approach developed by the UrbanA project to create a transdisciplinary arena to enable dialogue between the engaged food system change makers.
TIMELINE
First Food Assembly in Sweden
Supporting Farm-to-Fork, the local Swedish partner Reformaten hosted a Food Assembly with local stakeholders. Find the full update here.
LEAD PARTNERS ON THE PRIORITY
CONTACT
For further details please contact co-leads Professor Chris Foulds (chris.foulds@aru.ac.uk) and Professor Rosie Robison (rosie.robison@aru.ac.uk).
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101036640. The sole responsibility for the content of this website lies with the SHARED GREEN DEAL HAS project and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.