Future-Proofing

our Food systems

through Research
and Innovation
#FOOD2030EU

Research and
Innovation
FOOD 2030:
Future-Proofing our Food systems through Research and Innovation
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Directorate F - Bioeconomy
Unit F.3 – Agri-Food Chain

Contact Karen FABBRI

E-mail [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

Manuscript completed in September 2017.

This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, and
the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu).

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2017

Print ISBN 978-92-79-69841-5 doi:10.2777/249082 KI-01-17-652-EN-C

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 EUROPEAN COMMISSION

FOOD 2030
Future-Proofing our Food systems through
Research and Innovation

edited by Karen Fabbri

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

2017 Bioeconomy
Contents

Foreword 3
Introduction 4

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 7

Printing healthy meals for elderly patients 10

Creating a market for quality plant protein 11
Finding solutions to vitamin D deficiency 12
Developing award-winning food scanners of the future 13

Climate-smart and environmentally

sustainable food systems 15

Strengthening sustainable aquaculture using climate models 18

Optimising precision farming for higher yields
and environmental sustainability 19
Tweaking enzymes to boost photosynthesis 20
Enriching soils for sustainable land use 21

Circular and resource efficient food systems 23

Turning fish waste into functional food 26

Finding high-tech solutions for efficient food production 27
Engaging consumers to reduce packaging waste 28
Taking cooperative action to reduce food waste 29
Tackling food waste with ICT networks 30
Extracting high value protein from vegetable residues 31

Food systems innovation and empowering communities 33

Achieving efficient food production in cities 36

Driving digital innovation for participatory food systems 37
Increasing public debate on food and nutrition security 38
Building food-related sharing economies in cities 39

2 FOOD 2030
Foreword

There is no doubt that global peace and stability is largely underpinned

by our ability to feed people and provide a basis for good health.
However, guaranteeing food and nutrition security in a changing world
has become a huge challenge, due to the compounded effects of climate
change, resource scarcity and population dynamics. Access to food is a
major driver in the current migration crisis that Europe is experiencing.
These developments provide a framework for action, reflected in the
Commission priorities, COP 21 climate commitments and the UN
Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides an opportunity for
Europe to take a leadership role in transforming and future-proofing our
food systems.

It was on this basis that I and the Commissioner for Agriculture Phil
Hogan, during the 2015 MILAN EXPO, launched the first phase of
the FOOD 2030 initiative. It set out a debate with a wide diversity of
stakeholders on the role of Research and Innovation (R&I) in future-
proofing our currently unsustainable food systems. The result was the
publication of a baseline assessment of EU food and nutrition security
R&I in 2016.

We are now entering the second phase of FOOD 2030 that will prepare
the ground for the next EU R&I Framework Programme and outlook
towards 2030. This publication provides a glimpse of how European R&I
actually contribute to the systemic transformation of food value chains. It
continues to encourage an open debate amongst stakeholders; to break
down silos and engage in meaningful conversations about the future food
systems we want. Furthermore, the publication clearly demonstrates the
relevance of EU R&I to policy development and societal needs.

I invite readers to take part in this process, to engage in the FOOD 2030
initiative to help us build a more coherent EU R&I policy that places
sustainable food systems at its heart. Hippocrates said “Let food be thy
medicine and medicine be thy food”. Together we can make food the new
health for both humanity and the planet.

Carlos Moedas
Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

Foreword 3
Introduction

Food and nutrition security (FNS) – having access to sufficient, safe and
nutritious food – supports society and communities by ensuring good
health, sustainable jobs and lifelong enjoyment. To ensure that future
generations achieve FNS, certain global pressures, such as population
growth, urbanisation, resource scarcity and climate change, must be
addressed. For example, feeding an estimated global population of 9
billion by 2050 will require a near 60 % increase in food demand. At the
same time, the global and growing appetite for meat and animal protein
is becoming unsustainable and is leading to a further rise in greenhouse
gas emissions from the sector.

The European Commission aims to tackle the FNS challenge with research
and innovation (R&I) policies designed to future-proof our food systems
to make them sustainable, resilient, diverse, inclusive and competitive for
the benefit of society. This systemic approach, which aims to connect,
scale-up and boost EU R&I, is referred to as FOOD 2030, and will provide
solutions to four overarching priorities:

4 FOOD 2030
These priorities are being addressed through public and private
investments, open science, research breakthroughs and increased global
cooperation. The FOOD 2030 initiative connects the ‘whole food value
chain’ by linking: land and sea; producers to consumers; and ‘farm-to-
fork to gut and back’. In doing so it focuses heavily upon on scale up,
digitisation, and promoting open innovation, education and skills.

The initiative is also closely aligned with the EU commitment to the

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this respect FOOD 2030
endorses the “the wedding cake” approach to viewing the economic,
social and ecological aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).

Introduction 5
This implies that economies and societies are seen as embedded parts of
the biosphere. This moves development away from the current sectorial
approach where social, economic, and ecological development are seen
as separate parts towards an economy serving society within the safe
operating space of the planet. Using this model one can argue that all
the sustainable development goals are directly or indirectly connected
to sustainable and healthy food.

In conclusion this publication outlines the FOOD 2030 philosophy

towards a coherent and focused food-system approach, whereby R&I
can flourish, European competiveness can grow, and global challenges
can be addressed. It also provides an insight into past and ongoing
efforts to build more sustainable food systems by showcasing a wide
variety of EU R&I achievements across the different food chain sectors
as illustrated below. They in turn provide the basis and inspiration for
identifying future food systems R&I challenges.

6 FOOD 2030
 Nutrition for
sustainable and
healthy diets
Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets

The first FOOD 2030 priority focuses on fostering R&I on nutrition for
sustainable and healthy diets. The challenges under this priority include
tackling malnutrition and obesity; improving nutrition for healthy ageing;
sourcing protein alternatives to reduce meat consumption; developing new food
authenticity and safety systems; reviving forgotten crops for nutrition and resilience; and
supporting healthier and more sustainable diets in Africa. This priority aims at supporting
the further development and implementation of EU food safety policies, the EU Nutrition
Policy Framework and relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 8 and
10.

2 in 10
adult Europeans who are obese (and
half the adults are overweight),
contributing to a rise in ill-health and
non-communicable diseases, such as
diabetes.

23 million
number of Europeans
who fall ill every year
from foodborne
diseases.

8 FOOD 2030
2 Tackling malnutrition 2 Ensuring food authenticity
and obesity and developing future
Unhealthy and unsustainable diets impact human safety systems
health, the environment and the economy. In Europe,
Food safety remains a global concern, with related social
some 33 million people are at risk of malnutrition while
and economic costs unacceptably high. Almost one-
over 20 % of the adult population is obese. Almost
third of all deaths from food-borne diseases occur in
half of the world’s adult population is expected to be
children under five, although they make up just 9 % of
overweight or obese by 2030. Adopting healthy and
the global population. Setting up increasingly robust and
sustainable diets is in line with SDG 3 (Ensure healthy
ICT-enabled fraud and food safety systems – including
lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).
early warnings and coordinated management of national
and global health risks – would help to strengthen the
Childhood obesity leads to an increase in the risk of capacity of all countries for early warning, risk reduction
being obese in adulthood. In addition, obesity increases and managing health risks, a target of SDG 3.
the risk of disease and ill health. The rise in childhood
obesity may lead to 60 million obese children by 2020.
Early exposure to environmental factors, such as the
nutritional environment in utero and early post-natal
2 Recovering forgotten crops
nutrition can influence the risk of childhood obesity. for nutrition and resilience
Reducing childhood and infant obesity relates to the Most of the global population is fed on only 30 crops,
UN’s call to address the nutritional needs of adolescent some of which are sensitive to disease and are water
girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons, intensive. Increasing diversity by reviving forgotten
one of the targets of SDG 2 (End hunger, achieve food crops is one of the targets of SDG 2, which aims to
security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants
agriculture). and animals by 2030.

2 Improving nutrition 2 Promoting healthy and

for healthy ageing sustainable African diets
The number of Europeans over 65 will double in the next Hunger and malnutrition are still prevalent in Africa.
50 years while the over 80s will almost triple. While life Improving the diet and ensuring better access to
expectancy will continue to increase, unhealthy ageing nutrition and diversified foods would contribute to SDG 8
can place a heavy burden on both healthcare systems (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic
and families. Heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer growth, full and productive employment and decent
cost EU economies EUR 115 billion or 0.8 % of GDP work for all).
annually. Improving healthy ageing through nutrition
is relevant to achieving one of the targets of SDG 10
(Reduce inequality within and among countries), which
aims to empower and promote the social, economic and
Relevant R&I achievements
political inclusion of all by 2030. A range of EU-funded initiatives has been
launched to tackle these challenges and provide
sustainable nutrition and health for all. The EU
2 Supporting protein
projects showcased herein focus on reducing
alternatives to meat
hunger and malnutrition, providing high-quality,
The ever-increasing global demand for protein cannot
be sustainably met through conventional farming alone, affordable and nutritious produce, ensuring high
given its large carbon footprint. This has created an levels of food safety and traceability, reducing
opportunity for the alternative proteins market, which the incidence of non-communicable diet-related
is set to double by 2024. R&I support for alternative
proteins can help end hunger and ensure everyone has diseases, and helping all citizens and consumers
access to safe, nutritious food by 2030, one of the adopt sustainable and healthy diets for good
targets of SDG 2. health and well-being.

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 9

Printing healthy
meals for elderly
patients

By harnessing the potential of preferences. Food items are then packed and shipped
frozen, ready to be heated in the microwave.
smart 3D print technology, EU-
funded researchers have developed This innovative process could dramatically improve the
quality of life of people with dysphagia, who are often
tailored meals for elderly patients fed a porridge-like pureed mix of ingredients. This can
with swallowing disorders. This significantly impair enjoyment and lead to nutritional
pioneering work has made an deficiencies if meals are avoided.

important contribution towards In nursing homes, it is estimated that up to 60 % of

improved nutrition for healthy people suffer from the condition.

ageing. The 3D printing technology pioneered by PERFORMANCE

could open up a new high-growth market in Europe for
appetising, cost-effective personalised meals for the
The challenge of ensuring nutritional well-being among elderly, bringing benefits to a vulnerable segment of so-
the elderly will only increase given Europe’s ageing pop- ciety. Completed in 2015, many of the products devel-
ulation. oped within the project have the potential to be brought
to market as single standalone solutions.
Many senior citizens are affected by dysphagia – dif-
ficulties in swallowing or chewing food. The EU-funded FOOD 2030 > HEALTHY PEOPLE
PERFORMANCE project addressed this condition by devel-
oping and validating a personalised food supply chain for FP7-KBBE > Specific Programme “Cooperation”: Food,
those in nursing care, assisted living facilities or at home. Agriculture and Biotechnology
PERFORMANCE (312092) > Development of
The process works like this. Individual food preferences Personalised Food using Rapid Manufacturing for the
are sent to manufacturers via specially developed soft- Nutrition of elderly Consumers
ware, which results in specially textured meals prepared CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/105482_
using an innovative 3D printer. Digestible food is cre- en.html
ated from easy-to-swallow ingredients then reshaped Horizon-Magazine > https://horizon-magazine.
to replicate the real thing: for example, a pureed chicken eu/article/transforming-mealtimes-3d-printed-food_
fillet can be ‘printed’ into a fillet shape. Meals can also en.html
be tailored for portion size, nutritional value and texture Website > http://www.performance-fp7.eu/

10 FOOD 2030
Creating a market
for quality plant
protein

The EU-funded PROTEIN2FOOD tal assessments, researchers are attempting to achieve

a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms that
project is applying innovative and drive protein formation in seeds, as well as the condi-
sustainable processing methods tions that influence plant performance.

to produce high-quality, cost- Researchers are also interested in how plant protein in-
effective and resource-efficient teracts with other components in the food matrix, and
protein from seed crops and grain what this means for final food products. Support for
protein-rich food prototypes with exceptional market
legumes. By offering an attractive potential will be offered towards the end of the project.
alternative to animal protein, the
Ultimately, the team hopes to enhance protein produc-
project will contribute towards tion by 25 % through new effective breeding techniques
improved nutrition and enhanced and increase by 10 % arable land in the EU destined for
protein-crop production.
environmental protection.

There is increased awareness in Europe that global meat

demand is unsustainable, which might explain why more
and more consumers are willing to replace animal pro-
FOOD 2030 > PRODUCTION & HEALTHY PEOPLE
tein with plant-based protein. This project has sought to
support this dietary transition by improving the quality
H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES >
and quantity of plant-based protein, and by developing Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry,
adapted plant sources that have a positive impact on marine, maritime and inland water research, and the
the environment and biodiversity as well as on human bioeconomy
health. PROTEIN2FOOD (635727) > Development of high
quality food protein through sustainable production and
PROTEIN2FOOD began in 2015 by selecting highly nutri- processing
tious seed crops and legumes with high protein quantity. CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/193345_
Through genetic, agronomic and food process engineer- en.html
ing as well as sensory, socio-economic, and environmen- Website > http://www.protein2food.eu

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 11

Finding solutions to
vitamin D deficiency

An EU-funded project has found that ODIN found that vitamin D fortified foods can help
counter deficiency. One such study of postmenopausal
about 1 in 8 Europeans suffer from women in Greece found that vitamin D-enriched, re-
vitamin D deficiency, putting them duced-fat Gouda cheese prevented a lack of the nutrient
during winter months in the Mediterranean country. An-
at risk of developing serious medical other study showed that vitamin D-enriched eggs could
problems. The project’s evidence also have a beneficial effect in sunlight-sparse months.
sets the stage for effective food-
based strategies to address this
preventable threat.

Vitamin D plays a key role in helping the body absorb

calcium and phosphorous and is vital for ensuring bone
density and strong teeth, as well as proper foetal devel-
opment and a resilient immune system.

For humans, the major source of vitamin D is sunshine.

But due to weather and other issues such as staying
indoors most of the day for work or school, European
residents of all ages, genders, life-stages and ethnicities
are not getting enough exposure to the sun’s rays to FOOD 2030 > Healthy People
absorb their fair share of the nutrient.
KBBE.2013.2.2-03 > Food-based solutions for
The EU-funded ODIN project determined that about eradication of vitamin D deficiency and health promotion
throughout the life cycle
13 % of Europeans are vitamin D deficient, providing
firm evidence of a significant public health risk. Accord- ODIN (613977) > Food-based solutions for Optimal
vitamin D Nutrition and health through the life cycle.
ing to the research, those most in danger of developing
low levels include ethnic minorities, pregnant women CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/110558_
and infants, as well as adolescents and young adult en.html
Caucasians. Website > http://www.odin-vitd.eu/

12 FOOD 2030
Developing award-
winning food scanners
of the future

A non-invasive food scanner, Horizon Prizes reward breakthrough solutions – achieved

through the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme – to major
capable of delivering real-time societal challenges. According to the European Academy
results to help people accurately of Allergy and Clinical Immunology about 17 million Eu-
ropeans suffer from food allergies, with 3.5 million under
manage their food intake, recently 25 years of age. Around 43 million preschool children or
won a European Commission nearly 7 % of all under-fives are overweight.
Horizon Prize. The innovation
A total of three innovators were recognised as delivering
provides a low cost solution to breakthrough food scanning solutions. The winner, Finn-
help tackle Europe’s high levels of ish start-up Spectral Engines, developed a food scanner
prototype based on near infrared spectroscopy, with a
childhood obesity, as well as other Bluetooth connection to a mobile device and data con-
food–related problems such as nection to a Cloud server. The prototype is compact and
provides real-time results at a low price.
food allergies and food intolerance.
It also suggests that future food The two runners-up were SCiOscan of Israel (one of the
authenticity and safety systems countries associated to Horizon 2020) and Tellspec,
a London-based branch of a Canadian company. The
could soon be placed in the hands Commission noted that their solutions also represented
of citizens themselves. a positive step forward towards non-invasive food scan-
ning. All three winning companies will now use prize
money totalling EUR 1 million to further develop their
products for the market.
The Commission launched the competition in order to
address the lack of low-cost food intake management
solutions on the market. The winning solution had to be FOOD 2030 > HEALTHY PEOPLE
portable and mobile and capable of analysing food com-
position, nutrition facts and potentially harmful ingredi- Spectral Engine website > http://www.
ents precisely, quickly and efficiently. It also had to be able spectralengines.com/
to provide feedback to users on their health and lifestyle. SCiOscan website > https://www.
consumerphysics.com/
Tellspec website > http://www.tellspec.com/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 13

 Climate-smart and
environmentally
sustainable food systems
Climate-smart and environmentally
sustainable food systems
It is vital that natural resources – water, soil, land and sea – are used
responsibly within the Earth’s capacity to ensure they are available to future
generations. The second priority of FOOD 2030 addresses this challenge
through R&I to make climate-smart food systems that are adaptive to climate
change, conserve natural resources, and contribute to climate change mitigation. For
example, the Commission supports R&I projects that demonstrate sustainable aquaculture
approaches, make precision farming techniques available for small farmers, develop
photosynthesis for food & energy, and encourage the sustainable use of land to keep
soils healthy. This priority is relevant to the Common Agriculture Policy, the EU Strategy
on Adaptation to Climate Change, EU environmental policies, the Paris climate agreement
(COP21) and relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals 2, 7, 14 and 15.

~ 1120%-30%
EU arable land affected
by moderate to high
level of erosion

13 %
of groundwater
monitoring stations in
EU with over-the-limit
NITRATE levels, mostly
caused by agriculture

16 FOOD 2030
2 Demonstrating sustainable 2 Boosting photosynthesis for
aquaculture for Europe food & energy
Sustainable aquaculture is needed to reduce pressure Enhancing natural photosynthesis and artificial
on wild fish stocks while meeting the growing global photosynthesis could help increase crop yields and boost
demand for protein. There is room for improvement alternative energy production. In the case of enhanced
here. The EU is the largest global importer of seafood photosynthesis, plants can be engineered with enzymes
products, and accounts for 24 % of the total value of to speed up the process of converting carbon dioxide
world trade. The EU aims to increase its self-sufficiency into sugars, with an estimated increase of up to 60 %
through the sustainable production of high quality in rice and wheat yields. Furthermore, bacteria and
seafood that makes the best use of marine space algae can be used to make fuels from sunlight, carbon
with minimal environmental impact. Demonstrating dioxide and water. Such innovations could drastically
sustainable aquaculture will contribute towards the decrease land use for the production of biofuels and
UN call for countries to sustainably manage and reduce competition with food and feed production.
protect marine and coastal ecosystems by 2020, one Artificial photosynthesis further allows the development
of the targets of SDG 14, which aims at conserving and of biofuel cells and bio-batteries, contributing to SDG 7,
sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources which aims at ensuring access to affordable, reliable,
for sustainable development. sustainable and modern energy for all.

2 Enabling precision farming 2 Fighting climate change

for small farmers through healthy soils
Agricultural inputs such as water, energy, fertilisers, and While up to 90 % of the food we produce is grown on soil,
pesticides are often inefficiently used. While precision up to 25 % of this valuable resource has already been
farming – which relies on satellite images and other degraded. Billions of tonnes continue to be lost to erosion
observing and information technologies – can achieve every year. Ensuring responsible land use is vital if we
operational efficiencies, these tools are often too are to adequately feed an estimated world population
expensive for small farmers. Rural areas also suffer of about over 9 billion in 2050, with limited land and
from low broadband and 4G connectivity. To overcome increasing competition from biomass. In addition,
these barriers, affordable precision tools targeted at physical methods of CO2 storage face public criticism
small and medium-sized farms, are needed. This high- and their sustainability has still to be proven, while
tech agricultural transition will help to attract innovative the carbon sink potential of soils and biomass has the
young farmers into the industry and also encourage potential to be further exploited. Lastly, the world needs
urban-rural linkages and co-ownership. This objective sustainable ways to protect biodiversity and ensure land
contributes to one of the targets of SDG 2, which aims use and management for competing uses through better
at doubling the agricultural productivity and incomes of governance, management practices, implementation of
small-scale farmers by 2030. the ‘food first’ principle, and efficiency-based biomass
cascading with a more holistic approach to linking
primary production and end users. Properly managing
land will help combat desertification, and halt and reverse
land degradation and halt biodiversity loss, one of the
targets of SDG 15, which aims at protecting, restoring
and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably managing forests, combating desertification,
reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss.

Relevant R&I achievements

The following section showcases a selection of
successful EU initiatives that support healthy,
productive and biodiverse ecosystems at the
production phase of the food value chain.

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 17

Strengthening
sustainable aquaculture
using climate models

The EU-funded CERES project is The project results will contribute towards strengthen-
ing sustainable aquaculture, an important consideration
using predictive models to anticipate given estimates that 65 % of seafood consumption will
the impact of climate change on come from aquaculture by 2030. At present, annual EU
consumption of seafood is just over 23 kg per person,
European fisheries and aquaculture. with only 5.54 kg coming from aquaculture.
The project aims to help European
industry develop tailor-made The project team is using a combination of biological
and conceptual models, and will integrate the expertise
solutions to achieve sustainable of producers – including farmers and fishermen – along
aquaculture production and a secure with data from public administration and other research
sources. Throughout the modelling and mapping pro-
seafood supply. cess, dialogue with industry will take place in the form of
workshops, focus groups and interviews to ensure that
CERES’ outputs are as relevant as possible to the actual
situation on the ground – and in the water.
Climate change will affect both Europe’s inland and ma-
rine waters. To minimise risks and maximise benefits, the
seafood industry needs information about how climate
change is likely to impact stocks of fish, as well as aqua-
culture productivity. Identifying mitigation measures at
an early stage means that potentially negative climate
change impacts can be avoided. FOOD 2030 > Food production

CERES, which ends in 2020, is analysing projected cli- H2020-EU.3.2. > SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food
mate-related changes to inland and marine waters, and security, sustainable agriculture and forestry,
marine, maritime and inland water research, and the
the likely responses of species such as salmon, sea bass,
bioeconomy
mussels, oysters and tuna. All industries dependent on
CERES (678193) > Climate change and European
these species will be able to directly benefit from sug-
aquatic RESources
gested solutions. Targeted sectors include fisheries and
aquaculture, both inland and marine, across Europe, CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/200289_
en.html
from the high-latitude oceans to the Mediterranean.
Website > https://ceresproject.eu/

18 FOOD 2030
Optimising precision
farming for higher yields and
environmental sustainability

The EU-funded FATIMA project tion. The project has also developed a range of other
products to support sustainable crop management
seeks to implement sustainable techniques backed by innovative water-energy foot-
crop production through monitoring print frameworks.

and optimising the use of inputs Precision farming means that farmers achieve a better
like water, energy, nutrients return on their investment by saving on water, pesti-
and fertilisers. By putting cide and fertiliser costs. In addition, the project team
has worked on innovative policy instruments that can
precision farming tools in the be combined with these innovative technologies to pro-
hands of farmers, the project is mote the transition towards sustainable farming sys-
tems.
demonstrating how high yields
and increased farm incomes can The project team is currently implementing and demon-
strating these tools in eight pilot areas representative
be achieved while using fewer
of key European intensive crop production systems in
resources. Spain, Italy, Greece, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Aus-
tria, France and Turkey. Due for completion in 2018, the
project will integrate and make available all gathered
From the beginning, the project has sought to bring to- information through a participatory online platform.
gether leading-edge agronomic knowledge, crop mod-
elling and information and space technology to provide
farmers with easy-to-use timely information on crop FOOD 2030 > Food production
input requirements. FATIMA has worked with a range of
end users including farmers, managers, agricultural de- H2020-EU.3.2. > SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food
cision makers and the agribusiness sector, to develop security, sustainable agriculture and forestry,
tools for a wide range of farm types. marine, maritime and inland water research, and the
bioeconomy

Direct practical applications range from high-resolution FATIMA (613817) > FArming Tools for external
precision farming for high-value crops to soil organic nutrient Inputs and water MAnagement
matter restoration practices. These provide maps of CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/193262_
fertiliser and water requirements that can be used for en.html
precision farming and to manage crop water consump- Website > http://fatima-h2020.eu/?lang=fr

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 19

Tweaking enzymes
to boost
photosynthesis

An EU-funded Marie Skłodowska- RuBisCO activase (RCA). This is one of the least thermo-
stable photosynthesis proteins, and also the principal
Curie fellowship has enabled activation partner for the photosynthetic core enzyme
one researcher to investigate Rubisco, which drives carbon fixation and hence plant
growth.
the potential of enzyme genetic
modification to enhance The project’s main aim has been to experiment with
photosynthesis in wheat. Improved RCA to improve photosynthetic performance, and there-
fore the yield potential of wheat. This will be achieved
photosynthesis could help achieve through the sourcing and transfer of heat-stable vari-
a 60 % increase in yields of certain ants of RCA from relatives of wheat that have evolved
in hot climates.
crops, enabling European farmers to
contribute towards climate-smart Improved variants of wheat RCA will be incorporated
into elite wheat germplasm by means of genetic modi-
and environmentally sustainable
fication and breeding programmes. Due for completion
food systems. in 2018, the project has huge potential to dramatically
improve yield production in wheat under future climate
scenarios.
Meeting the needs for a growing food security in a
changing climate is one the key challenges facing agri-
cultural research, and in particular the impact of heat-
waves on food production. Given that photosynthesis is
one of the greatest contributors to crop yield, its de-
crease under heat stress can severely affect food pro- FOOD 2030 > Food production
duction. The risk of rising global temperatures means
that heat stress has become an increasingly important Funded under: H2020-EU.1.3.2. > Nurturing
factor for wheat farmers to consider. excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector
mobility
The HEATWHEAT project was launched in 2016 based HEAT-WHEAT (706115) > Highly Efficient and
on the understanding that photosynthesis is highly sus- Thermotolerant Wheat
ceptible to even moderately elevated temperatures. This CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/201396_
susceptibility can be mostly attributed to the enzyme en.html

20 FOOD 2030
Enriching soils
for sustainable
land use

The production of a carbon-rich The commercial potential of a product such as Novi-

hum – which is affordable, easy to use and good for the
conditioning product that can help environment – is therefore significant. As demand for
keep soil healthy and encourage more food production increases and available arable land de-
creases, the issue of soil quality will become ever more
sustainable land use is being scaled important. Global annual sales of such a soil humus con-
up thanks in part to EU funding. ditioning product for the agriculture, horticulture, urban
The innovative technology, called farming and landscape sectors in the EU, US and Mid-
dle East have been estimated to be in the order of up to
Novihum, replaces natural humus in EUR 360 million.
degraded and arid soils, significantly
The European Enterprise Network, co-financed under the
increasing crop yields while reducing EU’s programme for the competitiveness of SMEs (COSME),
water use and pollution. will help to establish a sophisticated global customer base
and facilitate successful market entry.

Soil is a vital – though often neglected – tool for increasing

the resilience and security of food production, as recognised
FOOD 2030 > Food PRODUCTION
by the UN’s declaration of 2015 as the International Year of
Soils. Healthy soil helps to reduce erosion, enhance drought
tolerance and ensure long-term land fertility. However, in- Funded under: H2020-EU.2.3.1. > Mainstreaming
SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
tensive farming is depleting soil of crucial nutrients that are
needed to grow food, and around 1 000 km2 of land is taken H2020-EU.3.2. > SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food
security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine,
every year for buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Novihum, which is achieved by enriching abundant lignite Scaling up Novihum (683550) > A Sustainable
Soil Solution: Scaling up Novihum, an innovation to
(brown coal) in a highly efficient industrial process, is cur- convert bad soil into better, make brown coal clean and
rently being run through a new pilot facility in Germany, barren land green, and profitably advance food security
where profitable commercial production can be tested in Europe and beyond
and refined. Due to end in 2018, the project aims to suc- CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/198529_
cessfully demonstrate Novihum’s potential benefits to the en.html
agricultural sector, which is under increasing pressure to Project video > http://een.ec.europa.eu/succes-
use land efficiently and sustainably. story/novihum-sustainable-soil-solution-feed-future

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 21

 Circular
and resource efficient
food systems
Circular and resource efficient food systems

The third FOOD 2030 priority aims to foster R&I to achieve circularity and
resource efficiency in food systems. Circularity implies sustainable, resource-
efficient food systems that, for example, would reduce the 1.3 billion tonnes of
food lost and wasted per year along the food chain globally. Challenges in this area
include: achieving zero food waste in food systems; tackling waste streams from primary
production; efficiently recycling food waste; rethinking food packaging and labelling to
engage consumers; and responding to an increasing demand for more tailored and local
food. This priority aims at supporting the modernisation of the Common Agricultural Policy,
the EU Circular Economy Package including the Waste Directive and Climate Action policies
and relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals 2, 8 and 12.

123 kg
average amount of
food waste by each
European, per year

+50%
of freshwater
in EU is used
by agriculture

24 FOOD 2030
2 Achieving zero food waste 2 Rethinking food packaging
Food waste is a problem along the entire food supply and labelling
chain. One third of the global food supply ultimately
Engaging consumers through reformulated food
goes uneaten, costing the global economy billions every
packaging and labelling will help to reduce the amount
year. This uneaten food accounts for about 8 % of
of waste produced in households across Europe. While
greenhouse gas emissions. If food loss and waste were
over 311 million tonnes of plastic were produced in
attributed to a single country, it would be the world’s
the EU in 2014, over 40 % of this was for single-use
third largest emitter after China and the USA. Achieving
packaging. The end result is that 8 million tonnes of
zero food waste would help to feed a fast growing
plastic waste ends up in the sea each year. Reducing
global population, while reducing the food sector’s
unnecessary packaging waste can substantially reduce
environmental footprint. Zero waste food systems can
waste generation through prevention, reduction,
help achieve SDG 12, which aims at ensuring sustainable
recycling and reuse by 2030. This is one of the targets
consumption and production patterns.
of SDG 12.

2 Tackling primary production

2 Sharing data for short-circuit
waste streams
food systems
Improving farm operations will help to reduce a
significant amount of waste produced throughout the Europe requires food systems that respond directly to
food system. Around 1.4 billion tonnes of manure is local consumer food demand. In fact, 34 % of consumers
produced in the EU annually. Only about 25 % of the are interested in personalised food and groceries, while
phosphorous contained in wastewater is currently 22 % would be happy to share data in return for more
reused. The aquaculture sector is also responsible for personalised products and services. In addition, 52 %
releasing antibiotics into the environment. With some of European consumers check if their food is local.
65 % of seafood consumption expected to come from Customised, localised and diversified food supplies
aquaculture by 2030, this is an issue that needs to be would help the EU ensure one of the targets of SDG 2,
addressed. which aims at ensuring the proper functioning of food
commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitating
timely access to market information, including on food
reserves, to help limit extreme food price volatility.
2 Converting food waste into
bio-based products
Some 88 million tonnes of food was wasted in the EU
in 2012, with 11 % of this attributed to the primary
production phase. In addition, about one third of the
global food supply ultimately goes uneaten, costing the
global economy billions. Developing end uses for this
waste will help return nutrients into the food supply
chain and create new economic opportunities through
added value products. In turn this will help the EU meet
SDG 8, which aims at promoting sustained, inclusive
and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all.

Relevant R&I achievements

The research projects showcased in this section
demonstrate how resource-efficient circular
economy principles can be implemented across
the whole food system, while reducing their
ecological footprint.

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 25

Turning fish
waste into
functional food

The EU-funded SECUREFISH project range of new functional fish products were then devel-
oped and tested in Ghana, Namibia and Malaysia.
has developed novel technology that
turns fish discards into value added Another project goal was the recovery and conversion of
waste by-products into high-value products such as gel-
products, helping to reduce waste atine, hydrolysates and functional peptides. Acid/alkali
and encourage resource efficiency. and enzymatic hydrolysis methods were used to extract
The technology was developed with proteins from waste skin and bones including from UK
salmon and Lake Victoria’s Nile perch.
a focus on low- and middle-income
countries. Other work focused on quality control parameters, risks,
nutritional properties and the carbon footprint of fish
products. The information gained was compiled into a
quality management tool for conducting safety and risk
The project aimed to reduce post-harvest losses in com- assessments and ensuring nutritional and functional
munities heavily dependent on fishing while achieving quality.
economic and environmental benefits. SECUREFISH de-
livered innovative tools that enable processors to ex-
tract nutritional proteins and peptides from fish discards.
These ingredients can then be sold to manufacturers as
ingredients for nutritious food products.

The project also introduced renewable energy sources to

ensure that new production techniques are environmen-
tally and economically sustainable, and helped to build FOOD 2030 > PROCESSING & LOGISTICS
up local SME skills to increase self-reliance.
FP7-KBBE > Specific Programme “Cooperation”: Food,
Agriculture and Biotechnology
Fish-preserving technologies were first developed based
on traditional approaches. These included a hybrid wind SECUREFISH (289282) > Improving Food Security by
(or biomass) and solar tunnel drier, a modified solar-en- Reducing post-harvest Losses in the Fisheries Sector
ergy-assisted extruder and an atmospheric freeze-drier. CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/101659_
The quality of dried fillets was then enhanced by add- en.html
ing plant polyphenols extracted from local seaweeds. A Website > http://www.securefish.net/

26 FOOD 2030
Finding high-tech
solutions for efficient
food production

The EU funded project RESFOOD priorities, leading the way on a new optical bio-sensing
system for rapid and onsite analysis of bacteria in water.
has developed ready-to-market The project showed that the prototype system proved
technological solutions, practices to be robust and performed well during two rounds of
pilot tests.
and management strategies to
help food producers boost crop RESFOOD partners also honed a process called IS pro-
cultivation, achieve processing filing, which uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to
detect bacteria by determining the length of a bacterial
efficiencies and valorise waste. These amplicon (a piece of DNA or RNA). The team achieved
innovations will contribute towards the necessary CE-IVD certification for the kit and it is
now on the market. A portable filtering device which was
the development of a truly viable also developed during the project and which accompa-
circular European economy. nies the kit also has market potential.

Producing food uses 70% of all water. RESFOOD devel-

oped ICT solutions to address this issue. The RESFOOD
team demonstrated that it is possible to recycle 50 %
of the wash water used on a production line after treat-
ment by UF and UV disinfection – without influencing the
quality of the product. This solution was tested at full
scale at a production line with a variety of vegetables.
FOOD 2030 > PROCESSING & WASTE STREAMS
The project also developed a water-efficient washing
machine for fresh-cut food. Technology demonstrations FP7-ENVIRONMENT > Specific Programme
“Cooperation”: Environment (including Climate Change)
showed that the new machine reduced water consump-
tion from 1.8 litres per kg to 1.3 litres per kg. The new RESFOOD (308316) > Resource efficient and safe
machine reduces water consumption by channelling water food production and processing
from the outfeed belt back into the machine. This machine CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/105519_
was nominated for the 2015 Food Tech Innovation Award. en.html
Food and water safety has also been one of the RESFOOD Website > http://www.resfood.eu/web/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 27

Use waste water to
produce biodegradable
packaging

The EU-funded PHBOTTLE project Additionally, there are clear potential uses for this bi-
opolymer across a range of other sectors such as cos-
has successfully developed a new metics and pharmaceuticals.
biodegradable material from waste
The project successfully demonstrated how ‘green
streams that can be used in plastic chemistry’ – a scientific approach to developing prod-
packaging. Made from the fermented ucts and processes that reduce the use and generation
wastewater of processed juice, of hazardous substances – can benefit both European
industry and consumers and lead to new innovations.
the innovation could save industry
millions in production costs and tap
into growing consumer demand for
environmentally friendly products.

PHBOTTLE focused on juice processing wastewater be-

cause it contains high amounts of organic substances,
including fermentable sugars such as glucose, fructose
and maltose. The concentration of these fermentable
sugars can reach 70 % of the total organic load, which
FOOD 2030 > PROCESSING & WASTE STREAMS
researchers realised makes juice wastewater an ideal
and cheap source of raw material to produce PHB (poly-
FP7-NMP > Specific Programme “Cooperation”:
hydroxybutyrate), a type of biopolymer. Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new
Production Technologies
PHB has several useful properties as a raw material for
PHBOTTLE (280831) > New sustainable,
food packaging. It is moisture and vapour resistant, and functionalized and competitive PHB material based
does not dissolve on contact with water. The material in fruit by-products getting advanced solutions for
has see-through properties and offers protection against packaging and non-packaging applications
oxygen entering a package. All these factors help to CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/103432_
stop food from spoiling, which makes this organic com- en.html
pound useful for making biodegradable juice packaging. Website > http://www.phbottle.eu/

28 FOOD 2030
Taking cooperative
action to reduce
food waste

The EU-funded REFRESH project aims The project then aims to develop strategic agreements
to reduce food waste with governments, business
to help reduce avoidable waste and and local stakeholders in four pilot countries: Spain,
limit the environmental impact of Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands. Businesses and
other stakeholders will also be asked to participate in
food production through knowledge testing new approaches to reduce food waste and rep-
and innovation. Various platforms licate these approaches in other countries.
and pilot projects are being tested to
EU policy recommendations to support the national im-
see how best industry and consumer plementation of food waste policy frameworks will also
can collaborate in achieving more be developed, as will technological innovations designed
to improve valorisation of food waste during food pro-
sustainable practices. cessing. Finally, ICT-based platforms and tools will help
to support the uptake of new and existing solutions to
reduce food waste long after the project is completed
in 2019.
Some 88 million tonnes of food intended for human con-
sumption are lost annually along the EU supply chain,
equivalent to 20 % of all food produced in the EU. About
half of this is household food waste. Achieving reduc-
tions here will go some way towards the objective of
reducing food waste across Europe by 30 % by 2025,
cutting waste management costs, and maximising the
FOOD 2030 > WASTE STREAMS
value from unavoidable food waste and packaging ma-
terials.
H2020-EU.3.2. > SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food
security, sustainable agriculture and forestry,
REFRESH began by seeking to gain a better understand- marine, maritime and inland water research, and the
ing of the drivers of food waste, focusing in particular on bioeconomy
insights from behavioural sciences. Knowledge gleaned REFRESH (641933) > Resource Efficient Food and
from this research will be turned into implementable dRink for the Entire Supply cHain
reports and tools designed to encourage better deci- CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/197850_
sion-making by both industry and individual consumers. en.html
Website > http://eu-refresh.org/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 29

Tackling food
waste with
ICT networks

The EU-funded SavingFood project responds to the practical problem that many volunteers
face of getting to farms where leftover crops can be
is working with donors, volunteers harvested.
and charities in four EU countries
Tools to influence behaviour have also been designed.
to redistribute surplus food to These include motivational videos, which will be dis-
people in need. An ICT platform tributed via online channels in the pilot countries, as
and behavioural change strategy well as a number of awareness raising events where
citizens can meet local food redistribution organisations
have been developed to support and participating donors. For food donors specifically,
engagement and ensure that the the project has designed a food waste calculator that
allows owners of a restaurant, a supermarket or a shop
project’s results can be sustainably to easily calculate how much money he would actually
implemented. save by joining SavingFood. The tool also calculates how
much CO2 emissions can be avoided.

The project has developed various offline and online

interventions to better understand and support food
surplus behaviour in Hungary, Belgium, UK and Greece.
Central to this is the project’s ICT platform, co-designed
with stakeholders, which aims to remove current practi-
cal barriers to food redistribution.
FOOD 2030 > DISTRIBUTION
For example, by enabling food donors to describe their
donation in terms of type of food and quantity and by H2020-EU.2.1.1. > INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP -
giving charities the opportunity to describe their exact Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies -
food needs, matching offer and demand of food surplus Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
can be done in a more efficient way. Notifications about SAVINGFOOD (688221) > An innovative solution to
crucial actions in the process of food surplus redistri- tackle food waste through the collaborative power of
ICT networks
bution, another characteristic of the platform, allows
volunteers to be reminded of food saving activities they CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/199864_
registered for, while pilot coordinators can follow the en.html
status of food surplus transactions. A carpooling module Website > https://savingfood.eu/

30 FOOD 2030
Extracting high
value protein from
vegetable residues

The EU-funded GreenProtein project The primary objective will be to extract and purify food-
grade, fully functioning, RuBisCO protein on an indus-
is producing high-added value, food- trial scale into a type of protein gel. This protein gel
grade and fully functional proteins has many valuable food industry applications such as
gelling, foaming and emulsifying, with excellent mar-
out of vegetable residues from the ket projection in growing markets such as high protein,
packed salad processing sector. This vegan and halal foodstuff.
will contribute significantly towards
To demonstrate how this can be achieved, the project
revalorising vegetable processing – started in 2016 and due to end in 2021 – will con-
waste, and open up new markets for struct a pilot plant and fine-tune the biorefinery process
to produce the added value ingredients. This in turn will
high-value functional ingredients. demonstrate how to significantly improve the environ-
mental performance and cost efficiency of salad pro-
cessing.

Food waste represents a significant economic cost to The main outcome of the project will be the revalorisa-
industry. In addition, the EU currently imports 77 % of tion of some 74 million kilos of discards from the salad
the protein it requires – for food and feed – represent- processing industry every year.
ing an important vulnerability for our economy, risking
self-sufficiency and food security.

The ultimate goal of the project is to develop and

demonstrate a new integrated process capable of FOOD 2030 > WASTE STREAMS
valorising more than 40 % of residual waste into high
added value additives. This will not only reduce waste H2020-EU.3.2.6. > Bio-based Industries Joint
and create new revenue streams for industry, but also Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
contribute towards rural development and employment GreenProtein (720728) > Revalorisation of
in rural areas. vegetable processing industry remnants into high-value
functional proteins and other food ingredients.
The project is focusing in particular on RuBisCO, a protein CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/205400_
found in all green vegetables and plants. It represents en.html
around half of the total protein content of green leaves. Website > http://greenproteinproject.eu/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 31

Food systems innovation
and empowering
communities
Food systems innovation and empowerment of
communities
The fourth FOOD 2030 priority focuses on developing a healthy innovation
ecosystem that supports new business models and the delivery of value-
added products that benefit society. The priority will help to create new
jobs across the EU and foster thriving urban, rural and coastal economies
and communities. Through closer partnerships with industry and society, markets
can function in a responsible manner, foster fair trade and pricing, inclusiveness
and sustainability. Challenges in this area to be addressed by R&I include: achieving
sustainable and accessible food in cities and regions, engaging citizens in food science
and policy, developing a sharing economy for food production and consumption, and
implementing data-driven food and nutrition systems. This priority aims to support the
European Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy, the EU Urban Agenda,
and Europe for Citizens programme among other policy
priorities, as well as relevant targets
of the Sustainable
Development Goals
2, 9, 11 and 16. ~8%
of the EU population is
affected by food poverty
(cannot afford a decent
meal every other day)

15%
monthly income
spent on food by
an average family in
most EU countries

3 out of 4
Europeans live
in cities and
urban areas.

34 FOOD 2030
2 Ensuring sustainable and 2 Fostering a sharing economy for
accessible food in cities food production and consumption
Urbanisation poses environmental, health and social Rural or semi-rural areas account for about 88 % of
challenges for cities and their inhabitants. Some 75 % the EU’s area and 55 % of all jobs. These areas play a
of EU citizens live in urban environments. This share key economic role in every European country. However,
is expected to rise to 80 % by 2020. Many European small farmers face a variety of specific challenges,
cities have to deal with food poverty and food deserts such as accessing expensive production equipment
– areas where nutritious food such as fresh fruit and that is not used by other farmers. Likewise, a great
vegetables are not available due to a lack of outlets. deal of food is wasted by consumers during the ‘last
Providing sufficient, accessible, safe and nutritious food mile’ of the food supply chain. Connecting local small
can be a complex challenge. By connecting producers producers with citizens – through sharing equipment
to consumers and citizens in food systems however, and logistic services for example – can help to reduce
new solutions such as urban and vertical farming food waste and create local food hubs. Investment in
can emerge. Investment in related R&I contributes to related R&I helps the EU and other countries develop
achieving inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure,
capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to
human settlement planning and management, one of support economic development and human well-being,
the targets set for SDG 11, which aims at making cities with a focus on affordable and equitable access for
and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and all. This target contributes to SDG 9, which aims at
sustainable. building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.

2 Engaging citizens in food systems

and science policy 2 Implementing data-driven food
European citizens often feel that their views are
and nutrition systems
not integrated into science and policymaking. A key A huge variety of data is generated throughout the
challenge is to connect citizens with scientists and food system. However, the value of this data is not
policymakers in order to increase trust and ownership of fully realised in a way that could help to strengthen
both ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’. Tackling this challenge consumer trust. Big data could also help the food and
from a food systems perspective will help to ensure drink sector to better target R&I investments, which
responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative currently represent only 0.27 % of the sector’s turnover.
decision-making at all levels, one of the targets of This is half as much as in the US and only a third as
SDG 16, which aims at promoting peaceful and inclusive much as in Japan. Tackling this problem would also help
societies for sustainable development, providing access the EU adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning
to justice for all and building effective, accountable and of food commodity markets and their derivatives and
inclusive institutions at all levels. facilitate timely access to market information, including
on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food
price volatility. This target is part of SDG 2, which aims
at ending hunger, achieving food security and improved
nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Relevant R&I achievements

Research projects in this area provide an example
of what has already been done to stimulate
innovation and empower communities.

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 35

Achieving efficient
food production
in cities

Through an analysis of existing FOODMETRES data repository made available to stake-

holders. Through these European data-driven tools, the
food chains in urbanised areas project has sought to bridge the gap between trade and
and the subsequent application of consumption on one hand and regional reality and local
actors and consumers on the other.
innovative tech-based solutions, the
EU-funded FOODMETRES project has The project team applied these tools to different food
contributed towards delivering more chains ranging from community-backed agriculture in
London, Ljubljana and Berlin, to subsistence farming
sustainable and accessible food methods in Nairobi and large-scale greenhouse glass
for cities. The project has shown production in Rotterdam-Westland. Stakeholder work-
shops were held in order to establish new production
how data-driven food and nutrition networks and ensure dissemination of research results.
systems can bring sustainable It is hoped that the project’s pioneering new technol-
ogy will influence the development of sustainable urban
benefits.
food production chains in Europe and beyond.

Establishing sustainable food systems – particularly

in increasingly concentrated urban areas – requires in-
novative technology and planning. FOODMETRES de-
veloped three metropolitan footprint tools based on
state-of-the-art European datasets in order to frame,
communicate and manage the impacts of urban food FOOD 2030 > F
 OOD PRODUCTION, PROCESSING
consumption on metropolitan regions. & DISTRIBUTION

Two of these tools – the Metropolitan Foodscape Planner FP7-KBBE > Specific Programme “Cooperation”: Food,
(MFP) and the Metropolitan Areas Profiles and Scenario Agriculture and Biotechnology
(MAPS) tool – allow the provision of detailed insights FOODMETRES (312185) > Food Planning and
on the ecological footprint of urban food consumption Innovation for Sustainable Metropolitan Regions
as well as indications of optimal food sheds for higher CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/105259_
food security. A Common Operational Data Protocol en.html
(CODP) was established for case study research, and a Website > http://www.foodmetres.eu/

36 FOOD 2030
Driving digital innovation
for participatory
food systems

Innovative ICT solutions are being and informal seed systems; and achieving transparency
of the food chain in the processes related to the produc-
developed by the EU-funded tion, including the distribution and consumption of food.
CAPSELLA project, which will enable
The key deliverable will be the CAPSELLA cloud plat-
farmers’ communities and networks form. This will include a rich set of components and a
to develop more sustainable food number of added-value functions providing data for
systems. This in turn will help targeted communities. Infrastructure will be offered for
building innovative ICT applications, enabling and en-
European society move beyond couraging the development of smart applications from
conventional, industrialised food the ground up.

production that has often been Community-driven data-powered ICT solutions will
characterised by inefficiencies and be tested by the communities engaged in the project
through a number of pilots. CAPSELLA, which also has
high external inputs like water and
a strong societal and business sustainability focus
fertiliser. through various incubation activities, ends in 2018.

Conventional food production has become increasingly

unsustainable due to unacceptable levels of food waste
FOOD 2030 > F
 OOD PRODUCTION
and shrinking farmers’ incomes. Alternative data-driven & DISTRIBUTION
systems are needed that reduce external inputs, pro-
mote agricultural biodiversity and engage consumers
H2020-EU.2.1.1. > INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP -
more in the food supply chain. Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies -
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
The CAPSELLA project is addressing these challenges
CAPSELLA (688813) > Collective Awareness
through raising awareness within farming communities PlatformS for Environmentally-sound Land
and the broader public about the benefits of using open management based on data technoogies and
data, and by promoting the use of ICT to achieve effi- Agrobiodiversity
ciencies. These tools will address three key scenarios: CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/199880_
promoting functional agro-biodiversity in cropping sys- en.html
tems; increasing on-farm genetic diversity conservation Website > http://www.capsella.eu/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 37

Increasing public
debate on food and
nutrition security

The EU-funded Big Picnic project These partners are designing fifteen travelling exhibi-
tions, which will offer information, activities and partic-
aims to engage the public in ipatory events to spread the word about food security
food systems and science policy and get people talking. Partners have been encouraged
to try out new approaches and to identify their target
through increasing collaboration audiences and goals. Co-creative methods – the idea
and conversations on food security that everyone is an expert on one issue or another –
issues. The ultimate goal is to help should inform participatory processes that involve insti-
tutions and community partners.
organisations implement local
community activities with citizens Communities will also take part in around 90 Science
Cafés, which are designed to inspire debate and capture
and stakeholders responsible for public opinion. Through the face-to-face interactions,
R&I. the project is expected to reach around 8 000 people.
Technology, take home challenges and social media will
expand Big Picnic’s potential audience to 300 000.
Will there be enough fertile land to grow the food for
an increasing population? Is it possible to adapt food
production to climate change? And how do we define
responsible research and innovation in relation to food FOOD 2030 > HEALTHY PEOPLE
security? The Big Picnic project wants citizens to debate
the issues and articulate their views. The project aims to H2020-EU.5.c. > Integrate society in science and
encourage grassroots engagement to achieve this. innovation issues, policies and activities in order
to integrate citizens’ interests and values and to
increase the quality, relevance, social acceptability and
Big Picnic, a three-year project ending in 2019, has iden- sustainability of research and innovation outcomes in
tified a need for both in-depth familiarisation with the various fields of activity from social innovation to areas
issues surrounding food security and a deeper under- such as biotechnology and nanotechnology
standing of the context in which grassroots engagement BIGPIcNIC (710780) > Big Picnic:Big Questions -
can be fostered. It brings together botanic gardens, uni- engaging the public with Responsible Research and
Innovation on Food Security
versities, an institute for art, science and technology and
an international NGO, spanning 12 European countries CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/203174_
along with Uganda. en.html
Website > https://www.bigpicnic.net/

38 FOOD 2030
Building food-
related sharing
economies in cities

The EU-funded SHARECITY project SHARECITY, due for completion in 2020, will provide
conceptual insights that bridge sharing, social practice
is guiding cities towards more and urban transitions theories. The project will gener-
sustainable pathways through ate a typology of food sharing economies; a database
of food sharing activities in 100 global cities; in-depth
applying the sharing economy to food sharing profiles of seven cities from the contrasting
food production and consumption. contexts of USA, Brazil and Germany, Greece, Portugal,
This will help to conserve resources, Ireland and Australia; and a sustainability impact toolkit
to enable examination of city-based food sharing initi-
prevent waste and provide atives.
new forms of socio-economic
It will also offer up scenarios for future food sharing
relationships. in cities after assessing current food sharing and open
new opportunities to better understand how, why and
to what end people share food within cities in the 21st
Understanding how and why people consume – and Century.
the nature of relationships they develop with the prod-
ucts they acquire and use – has long been a focus of
social scientists. While the cultural diversity and long
history of food sharing has been well documented, mod-
ern ICT is pushing this concept into new spaces. How-
ever, little is known about these emerging food sharing
practices and their impacts.
FOOD 2030 > DISTRIBUTION & HEALTHY PEOPLE
The SHARECITY project aims to establish the significance
and potential that food sharing economies can bring to H2020-EU.1.1. > EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European
cities by developing a deeper theoretical understanding Research Council (ERC)
of contemporary food sharing and generating compar- SHARECITY (646883) > Assessing the practice
ative international empirical data about food sharing and sustainability potential of city-based food sharing
economies
activities within cities. It will also assess the impact of
food sharing activities and explore how food sharing in CORDIS > http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/198611_
cities might evolve in the future. en.html
Website > http://sharecity.ie/

Nutrition for sustainable and healthy diets 39

Getting in touch with the EU
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 KI-01-17-652-EN-C
The European Commission publication “Future Proofing our Food Systems
through Research and Innovation” provides a glimpse of how European research
and innovation is actively contributing to food system transformation.
It provides evidence and backup to support the ongoing FOOD 2030 process of
encouraging an open debate amongst stakeholders; to break down silos and
engage in meaningful conversations about the future food systems we want.
The publication gathers together examples of evidence based food system
research and innovation from across the whole spectrum of the framework
programme and the food chain. It also clearly demonstrates EU research and
innovation outcomes relevant to economic societal and environmental policy
development and needs.

Research and Innovation policy

ISBN 978-92-79-69841-5