Data4Food2030

INTRODUCTION

DATA4FOOD2030 is a new consortium comprising 24 partners from 12 different countries across Europe and coordinated by Stichting Wageningen Research (WR), of which VUB is a partner. “Breakthrough Data-driven innovations are transforming our economy and society. They reshape the way we produce, consume, and share food. Changes are fast and profound. Benefits of data-driven food innovations are expected in every aspect of our lives, ranging from more personalized and healthy diets to more transparency about the food we are offered and more customized, local and sustainable food production.” Thus, we have asked prof. Niels van Dijk what is DATA4FOOD2030 about, and why is it important?

Niels: “The objective of the project is to design principles for, and a clear roadmap towards fair, inclusive data spaces which support sustainable Food Systems in Europe, that is, public policy decisions, supply chains, and individuals and groups that influence what we eat. Our role is to develop, with a team including philosophers and sociologists, stakeholder dialogues in which a range of scenarios of data economy futures for food systems will be assessed. We find it important that as many stakeholders as possible, especially the most vulnerable ones, are involved in thinking about possible futures, so that their values, expectations, and concerns are also considered. As the legal partner of the consortium, our goal is to ‘backcast’ by connecting the future scenarios identified with the current legislative issues, policy agendas and crucial legal design principles. Afterwards, we will create and assess multiple “legislative pathways” for EU regulators and policy makers to reach desirable scenarios or avoid undesirable ones”.

AIM

The digital transformation of food systems has entered a twilight (sunset) zone: data-driven innovations have proven to be promising, but it is still unclear how to upscale adoption and have broader acceptance. The Data4Food2030 project aims to improve the data economy for food systems (DE4FS) by expanding its definition, mapping its development, performance and impact to create new insights and opportunities.  This contributes to a more competitive and sustainable food system in the EU and supports implementation and adaptation of relevant policies such as a Digital Single Market, Green Deal and the Common Agricultural Policy.  

Data4Food2030 is a 4 year project with as goals to: 1) enlarge the knowledge base and insight into the DE4FS, 2) develop a system that monitors and evaluates the development, performance and impact of the DE4FS on relevant EU policies 3) identify drivers and barriers and turn these into opportunities, recommendations and solutions, 4) test solutions and evaluate recommendations in case studies and through stakeholder dialogues and 5) provide future scenarios and a roadmap and sustain the monitoring system to support policy development and accelerate the desired future state of the DE4FS.

METHODOLOGY

Data4Food2030’s approach is targeted at an improved future state of the DE4FS from which clear design principles, recommendations and solutions are derived for improving and adapting policies and practices at public and private level. As an essential part of the project, stakeholders are deeply engaged to provide input to various DE4FS concepts and evaluate several project outcomes to increase the impact of the project.  Nine case studies provide real-life examples of the DE4FS at micro- and meso-economic level, deploying data and technologies, which are used for mapping and improvement to promote data-enabled business models. In this way, Data4Food2030 creates credible pathways to navigate properly through the twilight zone towards a fair, inclusive and innovative DE4FS.

IMPACT

Data4Food2030 objectives are to improve the Data Economy for Food Systems (DE4FS).  Its Monitoring System will even go beyond economics.  It will monitor all dimensions of sustainability, and also include indicators such as those related to inclusiveness and fairness or to the broader impact of the DE4FS on the sustainability of food systems.