The food system of the future is not just about what we eat, but also how we sustainably produce, process, distribute and consume food.
Food is part of all our lives, but the system operating behind it is much more complex than what we see in the shop or on the table. How we produce, process, transport, consume and recycle food has a direct impact on our health, our environment, the economy and security of supply. FutureFoodS is a ten-year Horizon Europe partnership supporting the transformation of European food systems to make them more sustainable, healthy, equitable and economically viable.
Who is it useful for?
FutureFoodS is for those who not only produce or research food, but want to make the entire food system more sustainable.
Details
- For food businesses
It can be useful for companies looking for more sustainable products, processes, packaging, processing or supply solutions. - For agricultural and food chain operators
It helps to better understand where the European food system-level transition is heading and what innovation directions can be connected to. - For researchers and innovation actors
It creates research and innovation calls, knowledge sharing and professional collaborations in the field of sustainable food systems. - For decision-makers and public institutions
System-level knowledge, data and policy lessons can help sustainable food-related decisions. - For innovation support organisations and clusters
It can provide international relations, methodological frameworks and good practice examples for those who support cooperation between businesses, researchers and public institutions.
Why is this needed?
Food today is no longer just a matter of production: it is simultaneously a health, environmental, economic and security of supply challenge.
Details
European food systems are facing climate change, resource pressure, biodiversity loss, food waste, unhealthy dietary patterns and supply uncertainties all at the same time. These cannot be addressed with isolated responses. Production, processing, logistics, consumption and waste management must be viewed as a whole. For Central Transdanubia, this is important because food industry innovation, sustainable processing solutions, shorter value chains, and the green and digital transition of businesses are playing an increasingly significant role in the region as well.
How does the project help?
FutureFoodS does not tackle just a single problem, but rather examines how the entire food system can be set on a more sustainable path. Its aim is to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable European food systems.
Details
The project connects four major directions of change:
- Let's change the way we eat.
Healthier, more sustainable, safer and more widely available food choices. - Let's change how we process and supply food.
More sustainable processing, circular solutions, lower environmental footprint and more resilient supply chains. - Let's change how we connect with food systems.
Consumer confidence, strengthening social participation, Living Labs and multi-actor collaborations. - Let us change how we manage food systems.
Better policy tools, data-driven decision support and European-level coordination.
Practical application
The project truly becomes understandable when a business, researcher or institution looks to it for a foothold regarding its own development issue.
Details
Let's look at this example: Let us imagine a food SME that would like to reduce its environmental footprint, make its energy or material use more efficient, introduce a new packaging solution, or develop a healthier product portfolio. The business sees the sustainability expectations, but is not necessarily equipped with its own research and development background, international good practices, or a testing environment. In such a situation, FutureFoodS can make European-level knowledge, methodological frameworks, and connection points accessible. The Living Lab approach is particularly important because it connects experts, businesses, institutions, and users in a real-life environment.
Our role
As a Hungarian partner, the KDRIÜ's task is to make international knowledge visible not as an unattainable goal, but as a meaningful connection opportunity for the region.
Details
WDRDA not only takes part in international knowledge sharing, but also examines the reach, impact and methodological lessons yielded by the knowledge centre and Living Lab activities. The project provides an opportunity for WDRDA to build on its previous experience in the food industry and innovation support to further strengthen its role in the fields of sustainable food systems, living labs and innovation ecosystems. For the region, the most important added value of FutureFoodS is that it integrates Central Transdanubia into a long-term European knowledge and innovation cooperation.
Partnership
FutureFoodS is a large-scale European partnership with a constantly changing composition of over 80 partners from nearly 30 countries. The partnership includes national and regional authorities, funding agencies, universities, research institutes, foundations and competitiveness clusters.
Details
Featured cast:
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche – ANR (France | coordinator)
- Federal Office for Agriculture and Food – BLE (Germany | deputy coordinator)
- Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency – KDRIÜ (Hungary | project partner)
- FOODHUB.HU Agricultural Producer Service Nonprofit Pte Ltd (Hungary | project partner)
Are you interested in the project?
For further information, please visit the official project page or contact the project manager.
Official project page
Programme
- Horizon Europe
Full project title
- FutureFoodS - European partnership for a sustainable Future of Food Systems
Status
- Under implementation
Maturity period
- 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2034.
Project
ID
- 101136361
Project participants
Ákos Szépvölgyi
managing director
Results and related knowledge base materials
The results of FutureFoodS provide a foothold for those looking for knowledge, methodology, partnerships or development directions for sustainable food systems. FutureFoodS is a long-term, ten-year European partnership, so the results will expand continuously as the project progresses.
Details
- Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda – SRIA
Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on European development directions for sustainable food systems. - Joint international call for proposals
Research and innovation calls for multi-country collaborative food system solutions. - Food Systems Observatory
Monitoring and analytical platform for tracking the sustainability transition of food systems. - Food Systems Knowledge Hub
Knowledge centre connecting Living Labs, researchers, businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders. - Food Systems Living Labs network
A network of real-world innovation spaces for developing and testing sustainable food system solutions. - Methodological and capacity-building materials
Workshops, trainings, guides, case studies and good practices for actors dealing with sustainable food systems.
