Food System Resilience
We’ll improve food security and safety for consumers everywhere by enabling and establishing resilient and dependable digitally enabled food supply chains.
The current food system is vulnerable to external shocks, putting stakeholders across the entire value chain at risk.
To reduce this risk and increase food security and safety for consumers everywhere, at all times, we must collaborate to enable fairer, more resilient and transparent food supply chains that are rooted in innovation and equitable business models.
EIT Food's Food System Resilience mission framework is based on three targets where the EIT Food community can have the most impact, and in the areas of greatest need. These are:
- Improving sustainable and resilient food production practices
- Improving urban integration of shorter supply chains
- Investing in the growth of fair and resilient business models supporting food security.
This is reflected in our community building and advocacy activities and underpins the design of our funding and partnership opportunities.
Reducing Risk for a Fair and Resilient Food System insight report
EIT Food has published a Reducing Risk for a Fair and Resilient Food System Insight report, co-designed and authored by a community of experts and organisations committed to driving change in this Mission area.
This report describes the agrifood systems change we all need to see to improve food security and increase food integrity. The transformation needed is more action than any one organisation is capable of by itself.
Deep dive into our research on reducing risk, and the actions we recommend
In order to create a fairer and more resilient food system, radical food systems transformation is required to ensure risk is alleviated from all points of the food value chain and food security is prioritised across all activity.
To achieve this, key enablers of change include the digitalisation of consumer communication and labelling to build trust as well as the development of food insecurity indicators and framework.
Key findings
Resilient and sustainable farming practices
- Collaborative action along the food chain is required. Science needs to be connected to policy and practices with more interactive engagement between farmers and other stakeholders.
- Consumers need to be connected with rural communities and producers – consideration must be given to educating the next generation of farmers.
- Climate resilient farming practices may help overcome the risk posed for food safety, ensuring everyone has access to safe food – more resource efficient farming will reduce pressure on land and nature. Potential impact factors to consider: Soil health, biodiversity, water management based on hydrological context: increase water use effectively, reduce reliance on irrigation, 100% recycled water on farms.
Urban integration of food
- Creating areas where there is a local food chain created in the context of local supply logistics and where there are cooperative grocery shops that distribute the food. Moreover, the creation of a food council, which is a strategic partner for the implementation of policy activities is important.
- A key enabler of this opportunity is the creation of geo-maps of existing networks of linkages between consumers and producers in cities including capturing information on what role urban agriculture plays in the urban environment. Furthermore, education of citizens, and awareness of the food system from a young age, is strongly required.
Extended producer responsibility and true cost accounting
- Using sustainable packaging and labelling as an example, this opportunity places emphasis on the environmental impact of products.
- The availability of the right data enables partners in the value chain to address this topic.
- Requiring an LCA system that works fast, it places an emphasis on the environmental impact of products and can promote more resource efficient food production, helping to build the resilience and fairness of the food system.
- Government and policy makers would be required to mediate on this issue of price, sustainability and health impact of food.
Radical transformation of the supply chain and new retail models
- This idea focuses on the transformation of the retail model to prioritise retail of only sustainable products using sustainability indicators on food products, encompassing the sustainability of the food chain from form to fork.
- Improved transparency surrounding the sustainability of practices along the entire supply chain would be needed as well as a regulatory framework that only allows sustainable products to be commercialised – parameters of sustainability are therefore essential (local does not necessarily mean sustainable).
- Digital tools would allow consumers to assess the sustainability of the products that they buy.
- Education of actors within the value chain on how to transition to this system and business support would be needed.
Opportunities
Key indicators
- Access Availability
- Population health through diet
- Safety of food
Populations more at risk of experiencing these indicators
- Lower income households
- Minority groups & gender inequalities
- Primary producers
- Urban Populations
- Populations in Southern Regions
Key causes of food insecurity
- Climate Change
- Urbanisation
- Poverty and social inequality
- Scarcity of natural resources and land degradation
- Food safety issues
- Food distribution issues and supply chain ability to react to crises
- Overproduction and food waste
Factors contributing to food integrity
- Food product safety
- Food fraud mitigation
- Transparency from farm to fork
Consumer-industry relationships to build trust and public understanding in the food system
- Transparency of food supply chain
- Awareness of food production processes
- Clarity of food packaging labels and claims
- Trust in specific supply chain actors (farmers, manufacturers, retailers, authorities, policy-makers)
Key indicators | Populations more at risk of experiencing these indicators | Key causes of food insecurity | Factors contributing to food integrity | Consumer-industry relationships to build trust and public understanding in the food system |
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Enablers for change
- Support research and practical testing of climate resistant crops
- Support research and implementation of innovations in practice
- Technologies which:
- are friendly to energy consumption, friendly to environment and require low human work
- provide safe, clean, fresh water in order to effectively manage water resources and improve crop production and livestock raising
- improve the nutritional quality of food, in order to promote the health of populations
- prioritise long-term storage and preservation of safe food, to prolong the shelf life of food and reduce the risk of foodborne, illness or contamination.
- More accurate and speedy measurement of contaminants and adulterants in food products in order to ensure food safety and integrity.
Have an idea that will improve the food system?
Want to get involved with our community? We regularly bring people together to help us all reach for our shared goals – and we’ve launched a competitive, open Impact Funding Framework to promote and fund ambitious, long-term collaboration that will lead to food systems change to benefit us all.
Career Days
2022 > 2023
project
The main objective of the Career Days (CDs) is to raise awareness of the significance of food in modern life, and to demonstrate their relevance to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Public continues to place trust in farmers
April 10, 2022 - Farmers Guardian
in the media
The British public was more likely to trust farmers, and the rest of the food supply chain, than their European counterparts.
Food producers score poorly on the European consumers' trust meter
April 08, 2022 - Food Navigator
in the media
A new report by EIT Food - one of the eight communities to boost innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe - reveals only 47% of Europeans trust the food sector. French consumers lead the pack in scepticism.
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April 07, 2022 - Vegconomist
in the media
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April 07, 2022 - Dissapore
in the media
According to a European report, more than half of citizens do not trust the food system, producers and authorities, and only one in three believe that the food they eat is sustainable.
How to stop being 'triggered' by calorie counts on menus from today, say experts
April 06, 2022 - OK!
in the media
As some restaurants, cafes and takeaways in England are told to display calorie information on their menus, OK! asked experts about the change in law.
Career Days
2022 > 2023
project
The main objective of the Career Days (CDs) is to raise awareness of the significance of food in modern life, and to demonstrate their relevance to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Public continues to place trust in farmers
April 10, 2022 - Farmers Guardian
in the media
The British public was more likely to trust farmers, and the rest of the food supply chain, than their European counterparts.
Food producers score poorly on the European consumers' trust meter
April 08, 2022 - Food Navigator
in the media
A new report by EIT Food - one of the eight communities to boost innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe - reveals only 47% of Europeans trust the food sector. French consumers lead the pack in scepticism.
project
A call to action to find innovative solutions to main food system challenge.
Less than half of German consumers trust the food system, reveals a Europe-wide study
April 07, 2022 - Deutscher Presseindex
in the media
A new Europe-wide study of more than 20,000 consumers shows that less than half of consumers have confidence in the food sector and just a third of consumers believe the food they eat is sustainable.
8 out of 10 Spanish consumers trust farmers
April 07, 2022 - A en verde
in the media
While less than half of European consumers (47%) trust the integrity of food products, in Spain more than 6 out of 10 do (62%), according to the EIT Food Trust report, and especially the confidence in farmers, the highest of all groups in…
62% of Spanish people trust the food system above the European average
April 07, 2022 - Financial Food
in the media
Less than half of consumers in Europe (47%) say they have confidence in the integrity of food products, significantly below the average in Spain, which reaches 62%. In other words, six out of 10 consumers trust manufacturers, while 57%…
Nearly half of European consumers don’t trust food system, EIT Food study flags
April 07, 2022 - Food Ingredients First
in the media
The latest results of the EIT Food Trust Report surveying 20,326 consumers across 18 European countries reveal that less than half (48%) trust food manufacturers and authorities while only a third believe the food they eat is sustainable.
New study shows: Less than half of German consumers trust the food system
April 07, 2022 - Vegconomist
in the media
A study of 20,000 people in 18 European countries shows that German consumers trust food manufacturers and authorities less than the European average.
One out of two Europeans does not trust the food system
April 07, 2022 - Dissapore
in the media
According to a European report, more than half of citizens do not trust the food system, producers and authorities, and only one in three believe that the food they eat is sustainable.
How to stop being 'triggered' by calorie counts on menus from today, say experts
April 06, 2022 - OK!
in the media
As some restaurants, cafes and takeaways in England are told to display calorie information on their menus, OK! asked experts about the change in law.
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